Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has all but confirmed Chelsea’s £38 million move for Hakim Ziyech.
The Blues agreed a fee for the Moroccan forward with the Dutch giants on Wednesday.
After failing to sign a player in January, with Ajax rebuffing their efforts to bring in Ziyech last month, the Londoners continued negotiations with a view to put a deal in place for the summer.
And Ten Hag has conceded Ziyech is heading to Stamford Bridge to becom Frank Lampard’s first signing as Chelsea head coach.
“Ziyech to Chelsea? A transfer was coming, we expected it to happen,” Ten Hag told Fox Sports.
“And I actually already expected this one or two years earlier. And each time it was: “Wow, he stayed again”.
“We are just happy that we will still have him until the end of the season.”
Ziyech has shone for Ajax throughout four prolific seasons, playing a prolific role in the run to last season’s Champions League semi-finals.
The 26-year-old committed his future to the club last summer, enabling the removal of a €25m release clause.
But now Ziyech will move on this summer, having struck 48 goals and assisted 82 times in 160 games.
