Anger, loyalty and laughing at team-mates: What happens when a transfer dies
A penny for the thoughts of Hakim Ziyech.
Let us take you back to January. Fresh from a wonderful World Cup with Morocco but struggling to establish his presence at Chelsea, the forward was handed a football lifeline: a winter window deadline-day loan move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Four months playing alongside Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar for a side through to the last-16 of the Champions League and on course for a ninth Ligue 1 title in 11 years, as well as sharing a club with his close friend and countryman, right-back Achraf Hakimi.
Advertisement
He had made the short journey from London to the French capital by lunchtime to complete the deal, only for farce to ensue.
Despite Ziyech’s direct messages to Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly pleading to get the move completed, the distraction of securing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on the same night meant the necessary paperwork for Ziyech was filed a few minutes after the deadline passed.
GO DEEPER
Chelsea's transfer window: Stellar signings, a 'Class A circus' and Ziyech's Boehly plea
Even an appeal supported by both clubs to the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which runs the pro game in France, failed to get the transfer approved. With that, a unique opportunity was gone forever and a livid Ziyech was left feeling down in Paris and out of love with west London.
There is no hiding place after that, even with the inevitable ‘few days away’ to get your head around what has just happened. At some point, you are going to have to return to your club, speak to your team-mates and train and play alongside them.
You may also hope that a change of circumstances — or the arrival of the summer window — will bring a happy conclusion and reassure you that everything happens for a
Read on theathletic.com
