Chelsea manager Graham Potter is set to be considering using winger Hakim Ziyech as leverage in a bid to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus.
The winger has only played 13 minutes of football since Potter took the helm at Stamford Bridge, having fallen down the pecking order of Chelsea’s attacking players.
Meanwhile, the French international, Rabiot has had a good start to the season in Turin, scoring four goals in 10 games, and Ziyech may be used by Chelsea to facilitate a swap deal with Juventus in order to bag the midfielder.
Rabiot was heavily linked to Manchester United in the summer, with negotiations ultimately falling apart at the salary stage.
However, despite receiving regular playing time under Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri this season, it seems clear that Rabiot is keen to push for a move away from the club.
In a recent interview discussing his contract situation, Rabiot remained coy:
“There was a lot of talk. But I’ve always been focused both in training and in the game. The renewal? I don’t know. At the moment, there are other things to talk about.
“I’m focused on the pitch and doing well for the team. To get them out of the difficult [situation] and then we’ll see what happens.”
Reportedly, new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is still keen to sign the Frenchman and has devised a plan which would see Ziyech head in the opposite direction in order to draw Rabiot to West London.
Ziyech joined the Blues in 2020, helping Chelsea to Champions League glory in his first season at the club.
However, since then he fell out of favour with then manager Thomas Tuchel, often featuring as a bit part player rather than a mainstay on the wing.
After replacing Tuchel at the helm, it was expected that Ziyech might receive a new lease of life at Stamford Bridge, but his lack of playing time under Potter suggests he is not in his manager’s plans going forward.
That being said, Chelsea have been in short supply of goals as of late, so it may be that Ziyech is granted more of a chance to prove his worth in the coming weeks as Chelsea go in search of goals.
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