Transfer Centre

Everton 'keen to sign Hakim Ziyech on loan from Chelsea'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 22 January 2023

Everton are keen to sign Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech on loan before the end of the January transfer window, according to a report.

Everton are reportedly preparing to make an ambitious attempt to sign Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech on loan before the end of the January transfer window.

The Toffees lost their third straight Premier League game on Saturday afternoon, with the 2-0 defeat to West Ham United leaving the Merseyside giants 19th in the table on 15 points.

There is huge pressure on head coach Frank Lampard due to the team's struggles, but the former midfielder is still in the role and currently preparing for the next match against Arsenal at the start of February.

According to the Daily Mail, Everton will be active before the winter window closes, and the club are strongly interested in signing Ziyech from Chelsea.

The report claims that the Toffees want to loan the Morocco international for the second half of the season, with the option to sign him permanently if they avoid relegation to the Championship.

Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in action with Manchester City's Phil Foden on January 5, 2023 © Reuters

Ziyech's future is currently the subject of much speculation, with Chelsea thought to be open to letting him depart before the end of the transfer window.

The 29-year-old has found it difficult to make his mark for the Blues this season, contributing only one assist in 15 appearances in all competitions.

Ziyech has started Chelsea's last two league games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, although he could struggle for regular action once all the club's new signings are available for selection.

A recent report claimed that the attacker was desperate to join Barcelona before the end of the month, with the Catalan outfit looking to bring in a replacement for Memphis Depay.

Ziyech arrived at Chelsea from Ajax in 2020, and he has featured on 98 occasions for the London club, contributing 14 goals and 11 assists in the process.

Croatia's Ivan Perisic pictured with Morocco's Hakim Ziyech at the World Cup on December 17, 2022 © Reuters

The forward helped Morocco reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, but Chelsea boss Graham Potter said that he would "have to be patient" after struggling for regular action in the first half of the season.

"We know his qualities, we like him as a player, he plays between the lines with fantastic quality as we saw in the World Cup," he told reporters towards the end of last year.

"At Chelsea there are always good players who aren't in the starting XI and have to be patient. I was delighted for him, kept in touch with him over the World Cup.

"Delighted for him that he got the game-time, delighted for him that he helped his team, he's a good guy and he's got quality."

Potter has now selected Ziyech in the first XI for the team's last two Premier League matches, but Chelsea are currently without a number of attackers due to injuries.