Libyan club Al-Ittihad Tripoli have entered the race to sign Hakim Ziyech, submitting a lucrative financial offer for the Moroccan star as tensions escalate with Wydad AC’s hierarchy ahead of a potential contract termination.
The dispute began after Wydad’s new president, Ibrahim El Asri, requested that Ziyech agree to a salary reduction from his monthly wage of approximately 1 million Moroccan dirhams (100 million centimes) or consent to a mutual contract termination. The 33-year-old winger rejected both proposals, insisting on upholding the agreement reached with former club president Hicham Aït Menna.
Relations deteriorated further after Ziyech was left out of a friendly match against Nahdat Zemamra and excluded from the team’s training camp in Agadir. The player publicly held Wydad’s president responsible for the decision, accusing him via an Instagram comment of withholding the truth regarding his exclusion.
Reports indicate that Al-Ittihad Tripoli possess the financial capacity to meet Ziyech’s wage demands and finalize the deal, despite official figures remaining undisclosed. This makes the Libyan side the most serious destination for the winger should his spell at Wydad come to an end.
Ziyech remains firm on receiving his full financial entitlements and respecting his contract, which runs through June 2027. Conversely, Wydad’s management aims to alleviate the substantial burden his salary places on the club’s budget, prompting the Moroccan international to consider filing an official complaint with FIFA if an amicable settlement cannot be reached.
The former Ajax and Chelsea star joined Wydad on a free transfer in October 2025 following a brief stint with Qatar’s Al-Duhail. Since arriving, he has made 16 appearances across all competitions, scoring 9 goals—including 8 goals in 12 league appearances—before surgical intervention ended his debut season prematurely.
The next step involves a fresh round of negotiations between Ziyech and Wydad to either resolve his dues to facilitate his transfer to Al-Ittihad or agree on a mutual termination. A formal petition to FIFA remains the likeliest scenario if deadlock continues, though the lucrative Libyan offer provides all parties a financial and legal resolution to the impasse.
