The Basics
Age: 30
Club: Chelsea
Nation: Morocco
Position: Winger
Footed: Left
Under contract until: 2025
Ziyech’s first professional team was SC Heerenveen, which he joined as a teenager in 2007 after a trial at the club, as well as one at Ajax.
His debut for Heerenveen came as a 19-year-old in 2012, and Ziyech later became a fixture of the first team in the 2013/14 season, scoring 11 goals in 36 appearances. A £3million transfer to FC Twente followed, where Ziyech spent two full seasons.
The form he showed at Heerenveen continued at Twente, as Ziyech scored 34 goals in 74 appearances before moving to Ajax in the summer of 2016 for a reported £9million.
He enjoyed four successful seasons in Amsterdam, scoring 50 goals in 165 appearances, and registering at least 11 assists in each league season.
Ziyech won the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup double with Ajax in 2018/19 and made it to the UEFA Champions League semi-final in the same season.
Chelsea signed him in a deal worth up to £38million in February 2020, with the winger joining up in the summer ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
He hasn’t featured so regularly for Chelsea; the most Premier League starts he’s had in a season is 15. In total, he has 14 goals in 107 appearances. Ziyech’s career tally for club assists is an incredible 111.
Born in Dronten, Netherlands, Ziyech has dual nationality but opted to represent Morocco, which is the nationality of his parents. He has played 53 times for his country, scoring 19 goals.
The Links
In January, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans reported Ziyech was “on Unai Emery’s radar” due to his ability to play in multiple positions in attack.
The Scouting Report
Strengths
Ziyech is a gifted technical footballer, with his standout qualities being passing and crossing.
Usually playing off the right wing and cutting onto his left foot, Ziyech can deliver dangerous whipped crosses into the penalty area. He is a set-piece taker as well.
In the final third he is always looking to slide passes through gaps or behind the defence. His passes are generally well-weighted and into space for teammates to run onto.
He ranks in the 92nd percentile for progressive passes among attacking midfielders/wingers in the Premier League since 2020, and the 90th percentile for shot-creating actions.
Ziyech has the ability with the ball at his feet to wriggle away from opponents, dropping his shoulder to fool defenders or using skill moves to beat them. The winger ranks in the 63rd percentile for successful take-ons. He can also bring a ball down out of the air immaculately.
Generally, Ziyech likes to hug the touchline and play one twos with teammates to get either himself or them behind the defence, but he can also drift into central areas when he senses an opportunity.
He gets back into defensive positions when needed, covering gaps in his own penalty area, and puts effort in to chase and win the ball, ranking in the 63rd percentile for tackles and the 72nd for interceptions.
The Moroccan is a clean striker of the ball and can hit powerful and accurate shots on target.
Weaknesses
Ziyech is not an above average athlete and has to rely on technical ability. He lacks the pace to run past players with the ball or get behind the defence regularly, meaning he mostly has to come short for the ball, which makes him predictable.
He lacks the physicality players ideally needed to prosper in the Premier League. He struggles to protect the ball from defenders and can be knocked off it. This also puts a limit on how effective he can be defensively, ranking in the 34th percentile for aerial duel win rate.
The nature of Ziyech’s game means he often gives the ball away because he is regularly trying clever passes or crosses. He ranks in the 23rd percentile for pass accuracy.
Ziyech hasn’t provided enough goal threat throughout his time in England, mainly due to how far from goal he tends to operate. He ranks in the 33rd percentile for non-penalty goals, the 30th for non-penalty xG and the 29th for touches in the opposition penalty area.
Fit With Villa
Ideally, Ziyech would play as a second striker, so he move around as he sees fit and come short to collect the ball and link play. His ability to unlock a defence with a quality pass or cross would be welcome.
He could potentially play as a wide midfielder in Villa’s current 4-4-2 system as he works hard enough defensively to be trusted, or on the right of a front three.
Chelsea almost allowed Ziyech to leave in January and they need to clear some players out this summer, meaning he could be available on the cheap. His age is a concern, but for the right price, Ziyech could be a valuable and versatile player for Villa.
Similar Players
The ten closest statistical comparisons to Ziyech, according to FBREF, are:
- Michael Olise – Crystal Palace
- Matteo Politano – Napoli
- Alexis Flips – Reims
- Jack Harrison – Leeds United
- Solly March – Brighton & Hove Albion
- Raphinha – Barcelona
- Florian Kainz – Köln
- Dominik Szoboszlai – RB Leipzig
- Saïd Benrahma – West Ham United
- Ruslan Malinovskyi – Marseille
Olise and Flips could be alternatives worth pursuing if Villa want a player similar to Ziyech.
Transfer Targets Series
The Villa Ramble 
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