Former Tottenham Hotspur star Rafael Van der Vaart has told Hakim Ziyech to part ways with Chelsea. The 29-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge in the summer, but a deal failed to materialise.
football.london understand that the Blues were open to selling Ziyech if a suitable offer was tabled. It was believed that AC Milan submitted an offer worth €25million (£21million) - with €5million (£4.2millinon) to be paid this year and €20million (£16.8million) the next - which was rejected.
Despite this, the Moroccan has been encouraged to continue pursuing a move away from west London. Speaking to Dutch television station Ziggo Sport, Van der Vaart delves into Ziyech's demeanour and how the winger looks unhappy at Chelsea.
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"Of course, he never really has a smiley face, but now you can see from everything that he is not having a good time," the former Spurs midfielder said. "I hope he goes to a club where he can just play and not worry about anything else."
Van der Vaart continued by offering Graham Potter some advice. The former Netherlands international told the newly-appointed Blues boss that Ziyech must start.
"Ziyech is a boy that always has to play when you get him," he said. "When you get players, you buy them not only for their footballing qualities but also for how someone is. Then you can say that Chelsea have so many good players, but guys like him do not like to sit on the bench."
Ziyech, who sees his contract in west London expire in 2025, started just 14 times for Chelsea in the Premier League last season, directly contributing towards seven goals. Despite having shown glimpses of promise under Thomas Tuchel, a series of injuries saw the Moroccan fall out of favour.
The winger has still failed to impress under Potter and, therefore, continues to be linked with an exit. According to the Evening Standard, Spurs emerged as a potential escape route for Ziyech as Antonio Conte sought to bolster his strike force further.
The north Londoners had already signed Richarlison earlier in the summer, adding to Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski. It's said that talks over personal terms had started, but nothing came of it.
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