Is Hakim Ziyech really considering his Chelsea future already?
It's been a slow start for the Moroccan, but is he really ready to quit so soon?...
Thursday the 11th of February, Chelsea had finally just taken the lead against a stubborn and energetic Barnsley team to send them on their way to the FA Cup Quarter Finals.
Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal, and his team mates surrounded him to celebrate.
One man in particular did not look in the mood for celebrations though - Hakim Ziyech.
He joined in, but his face remained remarkably emotionless and it really did sum up his night, and parts of his Chelsea career so far.
After arriving from Ajax in the summer, Ziyech has struggled with injuries and struggled to really make an impact on the pitch so far.
The Moroccan international was poor again against the Championship side on Thursday, and you got a sense that he was getting very frustrated and annoyed with himself as nothing came off for him.
In came the stories over the next few days from Italy that Ziyech was now considering his future at Chelsea as a result of his tough time so far.
We note the sources of said news are not overly reliable, and there have not been any better sources confirming or denying the news as of yet.
But as we understand, Ziyech is not considering his future at this point in time and he is keen to find his form and make it at the club.
In fact, it was only last week Ziyech said this…
“I always have faith in myself. I know what I can do, and I won’t put pressure on myself.
“The best of Hakim Ziyech is yet to come.”
This was the words of a man confident and determined to be successful at his new club, but at the same time it is hard to ignore the negatives.
He sounds a little homesick, and has also touched upon getting used to the pace of the Premier League.
“It has been a difficult first six months for me at Chelsea,” Ziyech told Ziggo Sport just last week.
“I began with an injury, came back and then got injured again. Things have not gone as I had hoped.
“The pace of the game over here is much quicker than it was at Ajax. I picked that up straight away, and then I got injured in my first training game.
“That sets you back completely and then it happens again. It was bloody annoying.
“I am used to having my friends, and my mum, around me. Being without them has taken some getting used to, and of course the lockdown has made matters worse.
“On top of that I’ve had to learn how to drive on the other side of the road. I’ve not had any accidents, but it was very difficult at the start.”
Although there are no plans for Ziyech to give up right now, I do hold some concerns about his Chelsea career unless he really starts turning it on very soon.
One of those concerns is how lightweight and easily he gets brushed off the ball, that is something he will need to improve on a lot if he wants to make it here.
I believe missing family will hopefully ease soon once the lockdown restrictions start getting lifted. But there are certainly reasons to be concerned about Ziyech’s Chelsea future if this bad form continues.