Chelsea rumors and the six degrees of Achraf Hakimi

Chelsea wants Achraf Hakimi. We know that, or at least can safely assume that, because reputable journalists have said as much from England, France, and Italy. The wingback had a good season with Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan, but the Italian side needs to sell to get clear of debt. Not wanting to lose Romelu Lukaku, Hakimi was put on the chopping block. Paris Saint-Germain is also interested, by Chelsea might have pulled ahead thanks in part to a bigger offer that could include the likes of Marcos Alonso or Emerson.

That is about where the assumptions run their course. Everything else, such as a deadline on the deal or how close either side is, comes from less reputable sources that make the idea harder to trust. If it isn’t from a solid journalist from a nation directly involved in the deal (i.e., England with Chelsea, France with PSG, or Italy with Inter Milan) then it really isn’t worth it.

The Achraf Hakimi deal has gotten pretty strange as of late though, as tons of Chelsea fans suddenly know someone that knows what’s going on. If you’ve been on Twitter the last few days you’ve probably seen it. Someone talked to Hakimi’s boyhood friend in Madrid, or a former teammate, or a brother, or a hairdresser, or well you get the point. Somehow, every Chelsea fan in the space of a few days went from recognizing Hakimi’s name to being less than six degrees separated from him. Stranger still is how many seemingly believe these rumors.

It’s understandable to some degree. Humans are simply hardwired to believe the things we already want to believe. Generally, however, fans are pretty good at sorting through terrible rumors and ITKs to find the information that might be trustworthy. That seems less the case for Hakimi for some reason with big accounts suddenly knowing a guy and people just spreading the information as truth.

Stranger still is this is being done for a player like Hakimi who is very much a luxury signing. Chelsea doesn’t need Hakimi. If he signs, they’ll get a good player. If he doesn’t, well that’s more money to buy an island nation. Or Erling Haaland. It’s a no lose situation that some have become strangely invested in as make or break.

Basically, if an account isn’t verified on Twitter, they don’t know what they are talking about. Yes, even if they have “gotten something right before”. Half of that is just reading the reputable rumors and making the right gambles to become trusted. It’s not particularly hard, especially when half of those same accounts will then say “I knew about this for days but couldn’t say anything”. Sure buddy.

If anyone from The Athletic, Matt Law, Gianluca Di Marzio (not the publication, directly from him only), or Mohammed Bouhafsi says it, believe it as more likely than not about Hakimi. There are other good journalists that have no connection to any party and they can be mostly dismissed for this one. Literally anything else said from news aggregators or “journos” with anime profile pics and you can write it off.

Of course, what do I know, I was only told all this by Hakimi’s friend on Xbox or something.