According to a report from the Spanish publication Sport, Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech is a potential option for Barcelona in the January transfer window. The Spanish giants are looking to bring in a replacement for Memphis Depay, who recently joined Atletico Madrid.
The report suggests that Barcelona may not be interested in a swap deal and could instead look to execute two separate loan transfers involving both Ziyech and another player.
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Ziyech, who is 29 years old, has been a squad player for Chelsea this season under manager Graham Potter, starting just four Premier League games. He may need to leave the London club in order to revive his career, and a move to Barcelona could be the ideal opportunity for him.
However, Chelsea may also be looking to take advantage of the situation and lure Franck Kessie from the Spanish club in a swap deal. The report from Sport claims that Barcelona is not interested in a swap deal, but Chelsea could benefit from more depth in the central midfield and Kessie would be a superb addition, adding physicality and defensive cover to the team.
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It remains to be seen if the Spanish giants will move forward with a proposal for Ziyech and how his future at Chelsea will be decided. Ziyech has offers from other clubs as well, such as AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven, and his decision could be made soon.
The Conclusion:
The January transfer window is always a period of speculation and rumours. Still, it is clear that Barcelona is looking to strengthen its squad, and Ziyech could be an interesting addition for the Catalan club.
On the other hand, Chelsea will have to weigh a player’s potential loss and decide if Kessie is the right fit for the team. A transfer window is always a balancing act for teams and it will be interesting to see how these potential moves will play out.