Chelsea failed to secure their primary striker target, Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, after the deal went down to deadline day. Chelsea failed to agree terms in the final hours of the transfer window, ending the summer without a striker addition.
Osimhen has instead sealed a move to Galatasaray on loan, with other factors included in the deal, such as a lower release clause being inserted into his Napoli contract, and Galatasaray having no buy option.
Osimhen made 32 appearances in all competitions for Napoli last season, scoring 17 goals, providing four assists, and totalling 2,476 minutes played. As it happens, he'll now be joining a certain Hakim Ziyech in Turkey.
Ziyech was bought to Chelsea during Frank Lampard's reign, for a fee of £33.3m, signed during February, but joined the club in the summer of 2020.
Making 107 appearances for the club, Ziyech managed just 14 goals and 13 assists, a shadow of his Ajax form, where he delivered 49 goals and 81 assists in 165 games played.
This wasn't helped by his early injury issues in 2020 under Lampard, missing 14 matches with knee and hip injuries, at a time he was considered a starter under the English coach.
Some of the Moroccans' best performances for the Blues came in the Champions League, scoring two goals in the infamous Champions League run under both Lampard and Thomas Tuchel, where Chelsea lifted the trophy in 2021.
But things have been going downhill for Ziyech since the 2022/23 season, where he only managed 24 appearances, totalling 943 minutes for Chelsea, spelling the end of his time at Stamford Bridge, and moving to Turkey to continue his career with Galatasaray, now alongside the aforementioned Osimhen.
In his first season for the club where he was on loan, Ziyech made 23 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign across all competitions, scoring eight goals, providing four assists, and featuring for 1,334 minutes played.
Ziyech actually finished the season in relatively good form, scoring four goals and providing one assist in the final six Süper Lig games.
Ziyech's last start vs Young Boys (Sofascore)
Stats Ziyech
Goals 0
Assists 0
Touches 34
Key Passes 1
Accurate Passes 18/20
Possession Lost 7
Ground Duels Won 1/6
Successful Dribbles 0/3
Dribbled Past 2
Since this performance, Ziyech was an unused substitute against Adana DS in the Süper Lig, as the likes of Kerem Akturkoglu, and Baris Alper Yilmaz have been preferred to the Moroccan.
Now a permanent figure at the Turkish club, signing in a paltry £2.5m deal this summer, the 2024/25 campaign has seen a torrid start with the 31-year-old making four appearances and providing no goal involvements in his 237 minutes. He has also now been an unused sub in two Süper Lig games, out of a possible three.
Ziyech
Coming towards the back end of his career, Ziyech faces the challenge of getting back into the Galatasaray starting XI, and the signing of Osimhen could actually be his route back in.
Widely known for his passing ability, the Moroccan could provide the creation needed in order for Osimhen to thrive in the box, receiving crosses from all angles, box entry passes, and shot-creating actions.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
Osimhen could just be the saviour for Ziyech at Galatasaray, and a way back into the starting XI based on the attributes he can offer the team, especially in a duo with their new talisman.
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