Brazilian media: Botafogo reach verbal agreement with Ziyech, player to undergo medical in Brazil and sign contract

According to Brazilian media outlet ge, Botafogo have reached a verbal agreement with Hakim Ziyech, with only some administrative procedures left to be resolved. The club is waiting for the 33-year-old Moroccan winger to arrive in Brazil, after which they will arrange a medical examination and move forward with the final signing.

Ziyech officially said goodbye to Casablanca Wydad on Sunday local time. In fact, he had already reached an agreement with Botafogo over the transfer earlier, but Ziyech later asked for some time to consider his decision, causing negotiations to be delayed for a period.

ge learned that Ziyech had previously been concerned about the quality of football pitches in Brazil. In fact, he had even recorded a welcome video for his Botafogo arrival in advance and purchased a ticket to arrive in Rio de Janeiro on September 6.

For Botafogo, Ziyech is one of the club's key recruitment targets in this transfer window. The club hopes to bring in a left-footed winger, and Ziyech fits this positional need. In addition, he has also been a long-term target monitored by Botafogo's scouting department.

Regarding the contract, the salary offered by Botafogo to Ziyech is considered relatively low when measured against the standards for starting attacking players in Brazilian football. The club plans to sign him until December 2028.

One of the highlights of Ziyech's career came during his time at Ajax. In the 2018/19 season, he helped the team reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Following his impressive performances in the Netherlands, Chelsea later signed him for 40 million euros.

After joining Chelsea, Ziyech was unable to fully replicate his Ajax form, but he was a member of the squad that won the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League title. During the 2022 World Cup, he was also one of Morocco's key players as the team made a historic run to the semi-finals.

During his time with Casablanca Wydad, Ziyech made 16 appearances, scoring 9 goals and providing 2 assists. Now that his contract with Wydad has ended, the main obstacle to his move to Botafogo has been removed.