- Ziyech loan agreed with Chelsea
- Player in Paris for medical
- Move collapsed due to wrong documents
WHAT HAPPENED? The Ligue 1 side appeared to have it all wrapped up with the player agreeing to the move and having already flown to Paris to complete a medical. However, The Athletic have since revealed that Chelsea failed to file the necessary paperwork before Tuesday's transfer deadline, with a source from PSG labelling the situation a "Class A circus".
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chelsea sent the wrong documentation as many as three times, GOAL can confirm, with the correct version arriving at midnight local time (23:00 English time), far too late for a deal to go through. PSG are now set to lodge an appeal with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), although given their ruthlessness in similar cases in the past, it is thought to be unlikely that the situation will be resolved.
AND WHAT'S MORE: The result is that, despite flying to Paris to finalise the move, Ziyech will have to return to Chelsea for the remainder of the season. The Morocco international had a string of admirers, such as AC Milan, Roma, RB Leipzig and several Premier League clubs, but specifically chose PSG as his next destination. His game time back in West London will likely be minimal, given Chelsea's January spending spree that was capped off with the British record transfer fee for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez at the 11th hour on Tuesday.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ZIYECH? Barring an unlikely successful appeal, the winger will land back in London and be forced to play out the remainder of the 2022-23 season, unlike former Blues team-mate Jorginho, who completed a move to league leaders Arsenal.