Former manager Ruud Gullit says the club have ‘bullied’ Hakim Ziyech and believes the winger should have left Stamford Bridge ‘a long time ago’.
Having struggled for game time under , Ziyech was poised to complete a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain on transfer deadline day.
as Chelsea focused their energy on signing for a club record fee.
Reports later suggested Chelsea had sent through the wrong documents three times with the administrative gaffes ultimately leading to the move falling through.
With Chelsea adding Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and David Datro Fofana to their attacking options in January, Ziyech’s first-team prospects look even bleaker.
Former Netherlands international Gullit, who finished his playing career in west London before taking over as player-manager, was not impressed with how Chelsea handled the deal and suggests the move was deliberately botched.
‘This is not a mistake. It can’t be. If you get so many players and you do this two, three times… It can be bullying,’ Gullit told , in conversation with Dutch journalist Jan van Halst who says Chelsea are guilty of ‘intentional bullying’.
‘Ziyech could also have been annoying. You don’t know. He will have to fight for his place again. In the end, it’s terrible for him.
‘He should have left there a long time ago. The question is whether he would have played at Paris Saint-Germain. Then you end up in the same situation.’
Potter meanwhile has insisted
He said: ‘He’s back in the country, he trained this morning. It won’t be the first story like this or the last.
‘He’s a professional player, he understands the situation. He’s committed to us and available for the game against Fulham.
‘He has an important role to play for us for the rest of the season.’
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