The Moroccan international hasn’t played at a club since May when he and Al-Duhail mutually agreed to terminate Hakim Ziyech’s agreement after an unsatisfactory time in Qatar. His time there was cut short by a combination of injuries and inconsistency, and he’s been trying to find a way back to European football since. However, things have not worked out as planned, according to Morocco World News.
Hakim Ziyech hasn’t played a competitive match since May, missed pre-season at a club, and has been training alone while waiting for the right offer. This inactivity is naturally starting to take a toll on him and is now threatening his international career.
Huge salary demands and medical issues
The most recent setback came in Romania, after CFR Cluj, a Romanian club, opted to not sign him. Club owner Ioan Varga told Prosport that the deal fell through due to Ziyech’s high salary request and lingering medical issues.
“Ziyech wanted at least €2.5 million [$2.65 million] per year. I will never give that kind of money to a player we cannot use,” Varga told the Romanian outlet.
Varga also expressed some concerns regarding Ziyech’s fitness, referring to “a problem with his left knee,” adding: “Ziyech is a good guy, but I’m not going to risk that much money on a player who has medical problems. At Galatasaray, he also seemed to play with fear.”
Cluj eventually decided to walk away. “It’s a shame, because Ziyech is an exceptional footballer, but we don’t want to take any risks,” Varga concluded.
Hakim Ziyech finds himself out of form and out of favor. His name still holds prestige, but this is as complicated as the situation could possibly be for the player. Without a club, no match fitness, and no competitive minutes since the spring, Ziyech is running out of time to show that he deserves a spot on Morocco’s AFCON roster.
Head Coach Walid Regragui has already made his position clear: He will not be called up unless the former Chelsea player has a club. After all, for a player who once shone on the Champions League scene with Ajax and played at the World Cup, this is a significant fall from grace.
Unless something drastically changes in the near future, Ziyech is headed to missing the Africa Cup of Nations, all due to the latest poor decisions that have left him on the sidelines.
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