Chelsea had a big win on deadline day, signing Enzo Fernandez on a record-breaking deal, but the Premier League giants also had a spectacular fail when it came to loaning Hakim Ziyech.
Paris Saint-Germain’s attempt to sign the Morocco star on loan from Chelsea failed after the French league (LFP) refused to ratify the player’s contract.
PSG is pointing the finger squarely at Chelsea for the paperwork blunders, which have reportedly left the French side “furious” and reconsidering future transfers with the Blues.
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PSG had asked the LFP to approve the deal even though the required paperwork arrived after the French transfer deadline.
Ligue 1 clubs had to send all contracts to the league by 11:00pm on Tuesday (local time) before having a further hour to register moves in the FIFA system, which validates all international transfers.
Ziyech had passed a medical and the clubs had reached an agreement for the player to be loaned to PSG until the end of the season.
However, according to sources, the Premier League club failed to send the required documents in time for the 29-year-old winger’s move to be completed by the deadline.
PSG therefore asked the LFP for special approval, which was promptly rejected, leaving the French giants fuming.
“Ziyech cannot believe his move to PSG has fallen through,” Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol reported.
“The player is said to be incandescent. He was messaging Todd Boehly on Tuesday night pleading to get the deal done.
“The player is still stranded in Paris and is absolutely desperate to join PSG, even willing to pay his own money to get the deal done.”
One source described it as an “absolute shambles” while speaking to Sky Sports.
“Chelsea will not darken PSG’s doorstep ever again. This is not how you do business or treat a player,” added the source.
The Telegraph, meanwhile, reported that Chelsea blamed the drama on a technology glitch.
“But PSG are furious over the matter with sources claiming the club feel disrespected and describing the process as a Class A circus,” the report added.
In further proof of the deteriorating relationship between the two teams, sources close to PSG told 90minthat the club is “bouncing” and “absolutely furious”, adding that Chelsea “act like the biggest club in the world when buying players, shame they don’t when it is a player moving the other way”.
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The Netherlands-born Ziyech had been targeted by PSG to add depth to their attack after the departure of Spanish international forward Pablo Sarabia to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in January.
The Ligue 1 leaders, who play Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on February 14, failed to make any new signings in the winter window.
They had also targeted Inter Milan’s Slovakia centre-back Milan Skriniar, but he will now stay at the Italian club until the end of the season when his contract expires.