According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, Botafogo remain determined to sign Hakim Ziyech before the end of Brazil’s summer transfer window on September 11. Talks between Fogão and Ziyech had reached an advanced stage, with the 33-year-old right winger agreeing to join the Brazilian side, which has offered him a contract until December 2028.
The former Chelsea player had already recorded a presentation video wearing a Botafogo shirt and even had a plane ticket to travel to Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 6, before ultimately asking for more time to consider the move.
Read also : Ziyech calls in bailiff after Wydad leaves him out of Agadir camp
According to the same Brazilian outlet, Ziyech’s change of heart came after he spoke with Moroccan attacking midfielder Zakariya Labyad of Corinthians. Concerns over the quality of pitches in Brazil reportedly led the former Wydad player to reconsider his decision.
Several Rio de Janeiro players have contacted Hakim Ziyech, including Danilo Pereira, whom he played alongside at Ajax Amsterdam, as well as Alex Telles, in an effort to reassure him about the conditions of football in Brazil.
Despite this change of course, the Rio de Janeiro club does not consider the deal off. Ziyech remains one of the club’s priorities for strengthening its attack, and Botafogo remain confident they can complete his signing before the Brazilian transfer window closes.
Last Tuesday, Hakim Ziyech arrived at the Mohamed Benjelloun complex accompanied by a bailiff to have the conditions under which he was expected to train officially recorded.
Read also : Ziyech takes Wydad standoff public after friendly, camp exclusions
A few days earlier, the player had already been left out of a friendly against Renaissance Club Athletic Zemamra despite being at the venue, in full kit and preparing to join his teammates for the warm-up. He later publicly blamed president Ibrahim El Assri, whom he considers responsible for that decision as well as for his exclusion from the training camp currently being held in Agadir, while the player has remained in Casablanca following an individual training program.
At the heart of the dispute is Ziyech’s salary, which the new management considers too high as it seeks to reduce certain costs and reshape the squad. The player, for his part, does not want to accept lower financial terms than those agreed when he joined the club and intends to uphold his commitment to the Red and Whites.
Hakim Ziyech’s future could therefore be decided in the coming days, as Botafogo continue to push to convince the Moroccan to join the Brazilian league.
