Thread by @ExpectedChelsea

Amidst all the hype for Werner and Havertz, let’s not forget how good Hakim Ziyech is. Chelsea are signing one of Europe’s best creators for just £35m.

Ziyech’s variety of passes and output is absurdly good, even accounting for the Dutch league. Bonkers.

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Looking at the chart, one thing stands out – Ziyech is a master at the whipped pass from the right channel.

If Werner and Pulisic make the right runs, they will feast with Ziyech supplying them. Add in Reece James’ crossing from RB and it could be something special.

Besides his signature whipped pass, he is also excellent at taking set pieces. We’ve had some average (to put it kindly) set piece takers over the past few seasons, Ziyech is on a different level compared to the players we have had taking our free kicks and set pieces.

A few (but not many) of his assists have come from cut-backs as well, indicating that he’s more than comfortable at making runs beyond defenders and pulling them back. This is not a major trait considering the kind of player Ziyech is, but it’s useful to have regardless.

Beyond just his assists, his range is passing is incredible. His passing angles and weight are something that you need to watch to believe, they’re that good.

I have zero doubts that his passing will transition from Eredivisie to the Premier League with ease.

It’s tougher to predict how his dribbling will translate to the Premier League. Right now, he is putting up very solid numbers in Eredivisie (3.1 successful dribbles/90) but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this number go down by 30-50% in the PL.

He is not a bad dribbler by any means but he likely will get far less space in the Premier League than he does in the Eredivisie. 1.5 – 2 successful dribbles per 90 seems like the level he will reach in the PL based on video evidence. This is not a bad tally at all.

A bigger concern with Ziyech is his usage rate. In simple terms, he takes plenty of risks and gets a proportional reward. However, not all shots/passes he makes are successful. Some of them go wildly off target but for Ajax, the output Ziyech produces is worth the risk.

He is, without a doubt, the main man at Ajax in terms of using the ball. Most moves go through him and he is given a lot of freedom to risks there. With he get the same degree of freedom to take risks with superstars around him at Chelsea? It remains to be seen.

As an early warning, let me say he will be frustrating at times. All the missed passes, shots over the bar and messed-up dribbles are part of the package with Ziyech.

You need to accept his flaws just as you accept the incredible passing and output he brings to the table.

Bruno Fernandes is another example of a frustrating high risk player like Ziyech. But that is where the similarities between them end.

Both take plenty of risks on the ball but in terms of passing and creativity, there are not a lot of parallels between them.

See for yourself.

Bruno Fernandes has been given absolute freedom at United to take risks and he has delivered (albeit by over-performing xG/xA) for them. Will Ziyech be given the same level of freedom?

This will determine how much of a success Ziyech will be at Chelsea.

In terms of off-the-ball defensive work, Ziyech is not as good as Mount or Willian but he is capable of more holding his own. You can’t expect him to lead our press like the aforementioned two did but you can expect him to contribute his share.

To conclude, Chelsea have secured a huge bargain for one of the world’s best creators. Ziyech is not flawless and he has to sort out a few rough edges but there is no reason to believe why he can’t take the next step here.

Thanks for reading.