I was signed by Chelsea for £40m - now I can't get a contract at a Romanian club

The owner of Romanian club CFR Cluj has explained why they have decided against trying to sign former Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech.

Ziyech was signed by the Blues in the summer of 2020 from Ajax for a reported fee worth around £40million. The Morocco international went on to make 107 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 14 goals and played a key role in winning several major trophies.

Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021, with Ziyech heavily invovled in his first season at Stamford Bridge. The playmaker went on to help win the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup before leaving in the summer of 2024 following a season-long loan at Galatasaray.

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Ziyech would then have a spell in Qatar with Al Duhail for six months earlier this year before becoming a free agent once again this summer. Cluj were in talks to sign Ziyech on a free transfer, but the club's owner, Ioan Varga, has explained why the Romanian outfit have decided to call off the transfer.

"He [Ziyech] failed. He has a problem with his left knee that I was informed about," said Varga in an interview with Romanian news outlet Prosport.

"He is a very good boy, but I would not risk so much money for a player who could have medical problems. I also studied him in the games at Galatasaray and he seemed to play with some fear.

"We made the decision to withdraw from the discussions. I am sorry, because he is a special boy, but we do not want to take any risks."

Varga added: "He wanted 2.5 million euros a year (£2.17million) and I wouldn't have given that money to a player we risked not being able to use. I want him to be healthy and be able to play for another team."

It remains to be seen where Ziyech will go next as the former Chelsea star continues to explore the free agent market.

The 32-year-old has not made a competitive appearance since May 10 for Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup against Al Sadd, with his last outing in Europe coming on December 1 last year for Galatasaray against Eyupspor in the Turkish Super Lig.

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