Former Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has publicly stated in a brutal verdict that he is planning to leave Galatasaray in January. The Morocco international has played just 320 minutes of football this season with a minor injury keeping him out of action for nearly a month.
Despite returning in October, Ziyech has been used minimally by head coach Okan Buruk with something that happened in an appearance off the bench against Bodrum perhaps the reason for that. Having picked up an assist the previous game, Ziyech was given 28 minutes to impress the following week.
Just a few minutes into his cameo, the 31-year-old had a golden chance to double his side's lead, given to them by former Blues star Michy Batshuayi, but he missed an open goal after being played through by Victor Osimhen.
Since then Ziyech has played just 11 minutes and it now seems as though he has made a decision on his future and communicated it in brutally honest fashion.
"Galatasaray, it's over for me, I told them I'm leaving in January," he said as quoted by journalist Haluk Yürekli. "I've never seen such a bad coach as Okan Buruk. If Galatasaray can win the title? I don't care... Leave me alone, no matter what happens.
"I already regret coming. I was supposed to leave at the beginning of the season, but they didn't want to. I'm leaving in January." Though his move from Chelsea was only made permanent this past summer, Ziyech has been representing Galatasaray for the last 18 months.
One of the reasons he is perhaps fed up is because he is still barely playing despite both Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi currently being out injured. The latter is unlikely to play again this season due to a serious knee issue while Osimhen, who has been linked to Chelsea, is expected to return in the final days of December.
Dries Mertens, Yunus Agkun and Batshuayi have been the favoured attacking trio even with another forward Baris Yilmaz absent. Given his ruthless admissions, Ziyech will now likely be omitted from upcoming squads with a solution for January on the agenda.
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