NEWLY appointed Barcelona boss Xavi has given the green light to sign Hakim Ziyech on loan.
The 28-year-old has struggled for minutes at Chelsea this season, and his ‘name is on the table’ for the cash-strapped Catalans.
According to SPORT, Barcelona are keen to bring the winger in on a short term deal, but their mounting debt means they can’t afford an obligation to buy.
That suits the Blues, with Thomas Tuchel believing the Moroccan international still has plenty to offer at Stamford Bridge.
But a January loan move would be beneficial for all parties involved.
Ziyech’s £100,00-a-week wages are not thought to be a stumbling block despite the dire financial situation at Camp Nou.
Barca are long-term admirers of the winger and even tried to sign him from Ajax in 2019, a year before he joined the Blues in a £38million deal.
And bringing in reinforcements up front on a budget is a priority for Xavi after Dani Alves was recently recruited to help shore things up at the back.
The Spanish manager is thought to be happy with his midfield options, but wants one or two attackers on loan to help fire ninth place Barcelona up the La Liga table.
He may get wish with Ziyech himself willing to accept a loan move in order to play more first team football.
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Ziyech has started just two Premier League games of football so far this campaign and played a total of 182 minutes of league football.
After starting and scoring in the Super Cup against Villarreal in the summer it looked like Ziyech was in for an extended run in the first team.
But he injured his shoulder in that very game and has failed to force his way back into Tuchel’s side since.
Borussia Dortmund are another team linked with a January loan move for Ziyech, having been admirers of the forward while he was at Ajax.
And it looks like the two clubs will go head-to-head for the signing of the Chelsea man.
Xavi and Barcelona do have their eyes on alternative targets though should they lose out on Ziyech.
Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman is another name on their list after being the subject of interest in the summer.
However the Germans are not willing to accept a loan move, meaning negotiations for that one could prove to be difficult.
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