Three big questions: Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech and making magic

Chelsea’s first signing of the summer looks set to bring the magic back to the Blues. What questions should be asked ahead of a new season?

When Hakim Ziyech signed for Chelsea, no one really could have expected he would be just the first of several big name, big money signings. The time and the names that came after seem to have dulled the excitement somewhat around Ziyech, but that could quickly change once he takes the pitch again. What questions need to be asked of him ahead of the new season?

1. Concerns about a late bloomer?

European football has been dominated by the big four (five if one wants to count France, which after Lyon’s run in this season’s Champions League, they probably should) leagues for nearly three decades now. Playing in any of those leagues is usually seen as a sign that the player could at least make an attempt in the others. Playing in leagues outside of those is not necessarily a bad thing for young players, but there is generally a concern when an older player is still in one of those other leagues after 24 or so.

That is where Ziyech finds himself narrative wise. He has been highly rated for years and Ajax has shown they are resurgent in Europe again, but he was still playing in “just the Eredivisie”. That in and of itself is not the concern. The concern is that he was still there at 27.

Generally, if a player is in the Eredivisie and good, a club from one of the bigger leagues will snatch them up before they turn 24. Staying any longer is seen as a signal that the quality does not translate.

Ziyech obviously got to show that was not the case over the last two seasons of the Champions League. Ajax may not have escaped the group stage last season, but overall they held their own and Ziyech specifically showed he could play well against some of Europe’s best.

His transfer came before the full effects of Covid on the transfer market were known. Even still, Chelsea was alone in their pursuit of him. His age, the league he is coming from, and the fact only the Blues seemed interested could be a cause for concern ahead of his first Premier League campaign.

Or he will show he was merely a late bloomer and slot right in. It is far too early to tell. Signs against Brighton were promising, but preseason is one thing and the regular season is a whole other beast.