Paris Saint-Germain are “furious” that Hakim Ziyech's loan move fell through after Chelsea failed to file the necessary paperwork in time.
It has been claimed to the Independent that the wrong documentation or incorrectly filled-out forms were sent four times, as one source raged about the Premier League club being overly focused “with trying to do the Enzo Fernandez deal”.
The feeling within Chelsea is that the documents were not incorrectly filled out, and that they sent the initial paperwork on time, but that later some signed papers failed to send due to “unforseen technical issues” which meant the 11pm deadline was missed.
Ziyech was left stranded in Paris after travelling to complete the move, although French football's governing body had to meet on Wednesday morning to consider the approval of the deal, since the forms were eventually sent. It now appears, however, that the 29-year-old Moroccan international will have to complete the season at Chelsea.
There is particular aggravation within PSG as it has been privately claimed that three other outgoing deals were dependent on the loan going through.
Ziyech barely featured in the first portion of the season, making only five Premier League appearances with just one league start prior to the World Cup.
However, after featuring prominently during his national team’s historic run to the semi-finals, he was reintegrated by Graham Potter and has featured in five successive top-flight games for the Blues, including back-to-back starts against Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
The arrivals of Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and others during the January window mean that Potter must trim his squad to comply with registration rules for both domestic and Champions League matches.
Jorginho’s exit to Arsenal will provide one such space, but others will likely watch on from the sidelines after a winter spending spree which surpassed the £300m mark.
