In a recent print edition, Gazzetta Dello Sport has offered an update on Chelsea‘s pursuit of Inter Milan wide player Achraf Hakimi this summer. It has been revealed that the Italian outfit are refusing to budge from their €80m valuation of the Morocco international which could open the door for the Blues to re-enter the race for his services in this off-season (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Hakimi’s Impressive Form In Italian Football Last Season
Hakimi experienced a majestic season at San Siro as he helped Inter win the league title last month. The 22-year-old caught the eye by putting in a run of encouraging displays for the Italian giants down the left-wing.
The Madrid-born talent registered seven goals and 11 assists in 45 matches for his current club in the previous campaign on all fronts. Hakimi deserves a pat on the back for influencing the game in both halves after he averaged 1.4 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 1.1 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A football. He even distributed the ball with conviction based on his pass completion rate of 84.5% in the Italian top tier (stats via whoscored).
Hakimi has established himself amongst the best wide players in Italy by finding some consistency in terms of his productivity in the final third. Hence, he will be a massive coup for the Blues if they can manage to win the chase for his signature during this summer transfer period.
Should Tuchel Launch A Move For Hakimi This Summer?
Hakimi is blessed with electric pace that allows him to make some encouraging sprints down the right wing. He is not afraid to do his fair share of defending when needed and can be a hard man to beat in a 1v1 situation because of his quickness and excellent defensive awareness. Hakimi is primarily a right wing-back but is versatile enough to operate in both full-back positions if needed.
What makes the Morocco international such a joy to watch is his incredible productivity in the final third. Hakimi has chipped in with plenty of important goals and assists for Inter on their road to the Serie A title recently, so he will be a great option for Chelsea to consider this summer.
At 22, Hakimi still has a lot of room to grow as a footballer, so Tuchel might fancy getting the best out of him as his primary right-sided wing-back at Stamford Bridge in the coming seasons. Furthermore, we can expect him to increase competition for places within the Blues match-day squad. With all things considered, Chelsea would be wise to launch a big-money move to bring the Moroccan youngster to the English capital before the start of the new campaign.
