Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign 23-year-old Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer.
According to Sky Sports Germany, as carried out by Daily Star, Manchester United are the front-runners in the race to sign Denis Zakaria in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder is also being courted by the likes of Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.
Denis Zakaria joined Borussia Monchengladbach from BSC Young Boys in the summer of 2017. A part of the Bundesliga outfit for nearly three years now, the 23-year-old Swiss international has grown leaps and bounds during his time at Borussia-Park and is a mainstay in midfield for the club.
This season, Zakaria has played each and every game when fit and available and is closing in on 100 appearances for Gladbach. Having grown into becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in Bundesliga, interest in the player has grown, especially ahead of the summer transfer window, with Manchester United among those that are pursuing him.
Manchester United have bolstered their midfield in recent transfer windows, while the advent of Scott McTominay has helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer solidify his options. However, Solskjaer could still perhaps, do with a holding midfielder.
Nemanja Matic is enjoying a fine season and is set to sign a new contract with Manchester United imminently. However, the Serb is on the wrong side of 30 and has already showed signs that age is catching up with him.
Beyond Matic, Manchester United do not have another recognised defensive midfielder. Fred and McTominay excel as box-to-box midfielders and are not quite at their best when used in a deeper role. Making a move for Zakaria, therefore, makes sense for the Premier League heavyweights.
However, Manchester United face competition from Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and bitter rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 23-year-old Swiss midfielder. United, though, are the favourites to sign Zakaria, as per Sky Sports Germany (h/t Daily Star).
Having said that, Manchester United will face an uphill task in their bid to secure the services of the player, with Borussia Monchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl recently insisting that the club expect him to stay put at Borussia-Park if they can manage to qualify for the Champions League.
Gladbach are currently fifth on the Bundesliga table, with Bayer Leverkusen a point ahead. Should they fail to make it to the top four, Manchester United could well favour their chances of snapping up the 23-year-old, and it remains to be seen if a move for Zakaria can see the light of the day.
