Chelsea are reluctant to allow winger Hakim Ziyech to leave and join Newcastle United.
That’s according to recent reports, which claim the Blues are not prepared to strengthen Eddie Howe’s flying Magpies by letting their Morrocan winger make the switch up north.
Although once viewed as relegation fodder, Newcastle, now under new ownership, are far from the club they were a few seasons ago.
Now genuine contenders to qualify for next season’s Champions League, as well as having one foot in the EFL Cup final after beating Southampton one-nil in last night’s semi-final first leg, the Magpies are a team very much on the up, and Chelsea do not want to give their rivals a helping hand by selling one of their best players.
Whether the two teams can work a deal out before the end of the January window remains to be seen, however, with just two years left on his deal, if Chelsea are to recoup a fee for Ziyech, selling him to Newcastle now may be their last chance.