Galatasaray could end Hakim Ziyech’s loan after just five months at club – Media7

Galatasaray are considering ending Hakim Ziyech’s loan spell from Chelsea after just five months, following the player’s difficult spell in the Turkish league.

Ziyech’s Challenges and Injuries at Galatasaray

Ziyech was hoping for a fresh start at the Istanbul club, but struggled after suffering several minor injuries, having only appeared in nine games so far in the Turkish Super Lig, six of them as a starter, scoring twice.

He played 14 times in all competitions, with two further goals in the Champions League, but according to Turkish media outlet NTV Spor, he was deemed ‘ineffective’ and could not ‘perform as expected’.

Galatasaray Ready to End Ziyech Loan

With the player’s continued struggles to stay fit this season, having missed nine games due to foot and hamstring problems, Galatasaray are reportedly ready to end his loan prematurely and send him back to Chelsea.

Focus on the African Cup of Nations

For now, the 30-year-old will focus on the Africa Cup of Nations after being called up to Walid Regragui’s 27-man squad for the competition.

A Difficult Journey for Ziyech

It hasn’t been an easy year for Ziyech, who fell out of favor at Chelsea under former managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. Even the last manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was not convinced by him and loaned him out.

Disappointments and Aborted Transfers

Last January, Ziyech suffered another disappointment when his possible loan move to PSG fell through on the transfer market’s closing day, due to incorrect documents submitted by Chelsea.

He still played 24 times in all competitions, although mostly as a substitute, starting just six games in the Premier League and one in the Champions League.

Uncertainties over Ziyech’s future

Ziyech was then close to signing for Al-Nassr, but the deal was canceled due to a knee problem detected during his medical.

Since his £34million arrival from Ajax in 2020, Ziyech has played a total of 107 games for the Blues. However, his place in the team is in doubt if he returns to Stamford Bridge sooner than expected.

A Promising Start Wasted

His start to his Galatasaray career looked promising when he appeared among the Galatasaray ultras to lead a chant from the stands in front of his new teammates.

Ziyech stood on scaffolding while directing the crowd and was later seen on the pitch wearing the Galatasaray jersey and scarf.