West Ham Enter Race to Sign Denis Zakaria
Introduction
West Ham have entered the race to sign Denis Zakaria following his departure from Chelsea, according to reports. This comes as the Irons prepare to lose their captain Declan Rice who is heavily linked with Arsenal and Manchester City.
Arsenal and Man City Battle for Rice
The Gunners are preparing to make a third offer for Rice having seen their £75million plus £15m in add-ons bid rejected and remain confident a deal can be done. But now they face strong competition from the Citizens who are set to submit their own bid to David Moyes and co. today, with West Ham holding out for at least £100m. Manchester United also remain interested but Chelsea are not with their focus on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.
West Ham Eye Zakaria as Replacement
Regardless of where the England star ends up, his departure from the London Stadium is inevitable and as such West Ham must find a suitable replacement and soon. And it seems they have identified one potential candidate, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that West Ham are among many clubs interested in Zakaria’s services with Chelsea opting not to trigger the buyout clause in his contract.
Zakaria’s Reputation
The 26-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge on loan on deadline day last summer and looked more than capable in the few chances he was given – only 11 appearances in all competitions, completing 90 minutes just once. Nevertheless, the Swiss international has a good reputation from his time at Borussia Monchengladbach and has been made available for a transfer as he is not in his parent club Juventus’ plans.
Cost of Transfer
It is not known how much Zakaria could cost West Ham with his contract with the Serie A giants running until 2026, nor who else is interested but it is said that the Irons have contacted Juventus to discuss terms.
Other Chelsea Departures
Zakaria is not the only midfielder expected to leave Chelsea this summer, with City set to sign Mateo Kovacic, Arsenal expected to buy Kai Havertz, while United are getting closer to agreeing a deal for Mason Mount. N’Golo Kante has already departed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to leave also. This could leave Chelsea with perilously few midfield options but Enzo Fernandez is sure Mauricio Pochettino can get the Blues back to their best following an awful 2022/23 campaign.
Conclusion
West Ham have entered the race to sign Denis Zakaria as they prepare for Declan Rice’s departure. The Swiss international has a good reputation from his time at Borussia Monchengladbach and has been made available for a transfer as he is not in his parent club Juventus’ plans. It is not known how much Zakaria could cost West Ham but it is said that the Irons have contacted Juventus to discuss terms.