Paris Saint-Germain's football advisor Luis Campos has suggested Hakim Ziyech's proposed transfer to the Ligue 1 champions "didn't work well" for Chelsea.
Ziyech, 29, was set to join PSG on loan on deadline day, yet the move collapsed after the necessary paperwork was not signed in time. Chelsea have been accused of filing the wrong documentation, but they have pinned the blame on a 'technology defect'.
Yet PSG aren't buying it. Club chief Campos, who is at the heart of their transfer strategy, has suggested that Chelsea were secretly against the move. Ziyech remains a key player for the Blues after starting their goalless draw against Fulham on Friday.
Campos was speaking to the press after PSG's 2-1 win against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes on Saturday. He claimed: "We had the player with us, we had done everything. But as with all transfers, you need all three parties to work well.
"In this case it worked very well for Paris Saint-Germain, it also worked well with Ziyech. Unfortunately, it didn’t work well for the last party."
Ziyech's proposed move to PSG emerged after Chelsea spent a fortune to bring fellow forwards Mykhaylo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana to Stamford Bridge in January. It was believed Ziyech's services were no longer required.
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Several clubs were reportedly interested in the Morocco international - including Premier League side Newcastle - but Ziyech's preference was a move to PSG. He travelled to the French capital on deadline day to complete a medical and agree personal terms.
Ziyech's stock was high after the World Cup. He helped Morocco become the first African side in history to reach the semi-finals in Qatar, where they suffered a narrow 2-0 defeat to runners-up France. Morocco then lost the third-place play-off 2-1 to Croatia.
Confirmation of Ziyech's move to PSG was expected throughout deadline day, but it never materialised. As the clock struck 11pm, it emerged that the transfer had collapsed due to an issue with the paperwork. That is when the blame game started.
It is said Ziyech was left 'upset' by the collapsed transfer and messaged Chelsea chair Todd Boehly to get it over the line. As reported by the Daily Mail, Chelsea have rejected accusations they submitted incorrect documentation and insist it was down to an error. PSG appealed to the French authorities to belatedly finalise the transfer, but to no avail.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's game, PSG boss Christophe Galtier said the responsibility for the failed move "does not lie with PSG". He said: "From the moment we released Pablo Sarabia to join England [ Wolves ], we targeted players who could play on the right side.
"For various reasons, which I won't go into, we couldn't make the player we had targeted... Unfortunately, Ziyech was not done and these are the hazards of the transfer window. It must be accepted. The responsibility does not lie with PSG, as I know.”
