Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has refused to reveal the specific details of the conversation he and Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech had following the Red Devils’ victory over Chelsea on Thursday.
Speaking with Viaplay, Ten Hag said: “That is between Hakim and me.”
“We have experienced a lot together, beautiful things. There is a bond for life,” he added.
The Dutch manager also commented on Ziyech’s limited playtime, saying that he “has to play every week,” whether with Chelsea or another club.
“A footballer like that, in the prime of his life, must be on the pitch,” he said.
Ziyech has seen very limited appearances over his stay at Stamford Bridge, having to compete with several other players in his position and weathering the storm of an ownership change and several managerial appointments.
Ten Hag was Ziyech’s coach at Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam. The Moroccan was one of the most important players in the club’s journey towards a domestic double in 2018-19, winning both the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup.
That year, Ajax also made it to the Champions League semi-finals, winning against Real Madrid and Juventus before being eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur.
The Moroccan winger’s time in Chelsea seems to be coming to an end soon. After a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) failed in January over incorrect paperwork, the Moroccan seems to still hold the attention of a few clubs.
PSG have publicly voiced that they are still interested in the player, while other reports have linked him with Italian giants AC Milan and Inter. Interest in Ziyech went up again following his World Cup heroics in the 2022 tournament held in Qatar.
