Hakim Ziyech ready to leave Chelsea for Turkey?

Galatasaray have reportedly been given the green light to sign Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech.

The Morocco international has endured a mixed three years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League in his first campaign but failing to cement a spot in the starting lineup.

A total of 14 goals and 13 assists have come from 107 appearances in all competitions, but Ziyech has tried and failed to leave Chelsea on two occasions in 2023.

He had been in line to link up with Paris Saint-Germain during the final hours of the January transfer window, only for Chelsea officials to allegedly make a mistake when sending the necessary documents to their counterparts at Parc des Princes.

While Ziyech remained as a squad member at the West Londoners for the remainder of the season, it was an open secret that he would be pushing to leave in the summer.

© Reuters

The 30-year-old was on the brink of signing a lucrative deal with Al-Nassr before the Saudi Pro League side identified an apparent knee issue in his medical.

That deal was eventually scrapped, leaving Ziyech in a position where he was lacking interested clubs and remained out of the plans of Mauricio Pochettino.

However, according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, Galatasaray have come forward with a suitable offer for the attacker.

Ziyech has reportedly been provided with permission to undergo a medical with the Super Lig champions ahead of a potential move to Turkey.

© Reuters

Other outlets have backed up the claims, although none indicate whether Ziyech would leave Chelsea on a permanent basis or season-long loan deal.

Chelsea officials are also wary of assuming that a transfer will go through as planned given the issues that Ziyech experienced with his medical at Al-Nassr.

Progression in negotiations have seemingly come about on the back of Galatasaray progressing into the Champions League playoff round, where they will square off against Norwegian side Molde.

Head coach Okan Buruk has already added the likes of Tete and Wilfried Zaha to his wide options ahead of their return to European football, the worst-case scenario being a spot in the Europa League group stages.