Chelsea winger Ziyech wanted by Everton as Gordon replacement

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 26 Jan 2023 07:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea could be about to successfully offload Hakim Ziyech with Everton wanting the Morocco winger should Anthony Gordon leave, as expected, for Newcastle.

Ziyech starred for Morocco as they became the first African team ever to make it to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, but his club football has been less rewarding on a personal level in recent seasons.

Signed from Ajax for €40 million in the summer of 2020 when Frank Lampard was still Chelsea manager, Ziyech has struggled to win the trust of successive managers at Stamford Bridge in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter since.

READ: The five Chelsea players who could leave in January

He has been restricted to just six starts in all competitions this season, and Sky Sports now report that Everton are ready to offer the 29-year-old winger a way out.

'Ziyech for Gordon'

"Everton want to sign Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech as a potential replacement for Anthony Gordon," they report. "One source has told Sky Sports News the Toffees are ready to pay up to £25m [€28.4m] for the Moroccan, with Chelsea considering letting him go."

As revealed previously and exclusively on FootballTransfers.com, Everton have accepted a bid of €39m rising to €56m in possible add-ons from Newcastle for Gordon, and it is understood St James' Park is his favoured destination.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Everton to accept Newcastle bid for Anthony Gordon

Ziyech could be an ideal replacement for Gordon, although Lampard's recent departure from Goodison Park throws a potential spanner in the works.

Lampard was one of Ziyech's primary backers at Chelsea, and the Toffees might be reluctant to spend big in the transfer market before appointing his successor as manager anyway.

Chelsea are pushing for a sale in any case, and there is reportedly interest from Italy's Serie A in the shape of AC Milan and Roma. Newcastle might even have moved for him themselves, had their bid for Gordon not been successful.