Newcastle United are keeping close tabs on Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria who is currently in the final few months of his contract.
According to Siamo La Roma, Premier League side Newcastle United are front-runners in the race to secure the signing of Swiss international midfielder Denis Zakaria from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.
The midfielder is currently in the final year of his contract and could move for a free next summer amid interest from Manchester United and Manchester City. He is not short of options and is attracting considerable attention from clubs all across the continent.
Newcastle, fresh from their takeover, will be keen to rebuild their side as soon as possible. It would appear that they have been keeping close tabs on the 25-year-old in the past few weeks and have emerged as front-runners for his signature. Zakaria would give the Magpies the defensive solidity they seek in the middle of the park as they embark on the rebuild.
An all-action midfielder, the Swiss ace is good in the air and is a real physical presence in the middle of the park. He is also a neat passer of the ball and can keep the ball rolling to his teammates.
Compared to Patrick Vieira and Paul Pogba, Zakaria can become a leading midfielder for a top side. As things stand, Newcastle are likely to be embroiled in a relegation battle this season. While they did fight against Brentford on Saturday, the Tyneside club is at the bottom of the league.
Bringing in the right players in the winter could make a telling difference heading into the second half of the season. Joe Willock has impressed in spurts this season but lacks a dependable midfield partner. Sean Longstaff and Jonjo Shelvey have the ability but are too inconsistent to be considered dependable starters.
Newcastle are not short of money following their takeover and do not need to wait until next summer to grab Zakaria for free. Whether they can test the waters by offering Gladbach an offer they cannot refuse in January remains to be seen.
With AS Roma, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Inter Milan and several other Premier League teams also in the fray, Newcastle face much competition to land Zakaria, for whom Gladbach are demanding €15 million in the January window. All the teams in the fight can, at this moment in time, offer the player a better sporting project than the Magpies.
The promise of a brighter tomorrow is something Newcastle can sell, but with their top-flight status far from secure, it remains to be seen if Zakaria will be convinced.
