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LONDON. — Ajax Amsterdam yesterday announced that the club has reached an agreement with English Premiership football side Chelsea for the transfer of attacker Hakim Ziyech.

The player will join the Blues on July 1, 2020 and will finish the remainder of the 2019/2020 season in Amsterdam. The clubs agreed a deal of €40 million that could potentially increase to a maximum of €44 million, with variable factors.

The Moroccan international made his debut for Ajax on September 11, 2016 against Vitesse and has played 160 official matches for Ajax and scored 49 goals.

In 2018, Ziyech was named Dutch footballer of the year.

The Blues did not sign anyone in January despite overturning a two-window FIFA ban, but now appear set to sign one of their major targets after Frank Lampard demanded they sign the No. 10.

Dutch outlet De Telegraaf report that Chelsea were keen to land Ziyech in the winter window but that Eredivisie champions Ajax flat-out refused to do business as they seek to fend off AZ Alkmaar for the title.

But the attacking midfielder appears Stamford Bridge-bound with a £45m verbal agreement in place between the two clubs for Ziyech to move to the Premier League at the end of the season.

It is said Lampard specifically instructed to the Chelsea hierarchy that they sign Ziyech and the 41-year-old is said to be a big fan of the playmaker, whom he wanted a deal in place for ahead of the summer window.

The 26-year-old has plied his trade for Ajax since 2016 and only signed a new three-year deal in the summer.

He boasts eight goals and 21 assists from 29 appearances this season.

The Dutch-born Moroccan was a major part of the team that won the league, the KNVB Cup and reached the Champions League semi-finals last term, producing 21 goals and 24 assists in 49 games. Ziyech is keen to win the two former competitions once again and will not join Chelsea until the end of the season as a result. — Sky Sports.