Real Madrid and Barcelona could go head-to-head in the race to sign Denis Zakaria, with Los Blancos reportedly planning talks with the Swiss midfielder.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Barcelona and Real Madrid seem to be at the front of the queue of suitors vying for the signature of Denis Zakaria. The Swiss midfielder will leave Borussia Monchengladbach as a free agent in the summer transfer window, with Los Blancos scheduling talks to sign him.
Denis Zakaria joined Borussia Monchengladbach from BSC Young Boys in July 2017 and has since established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga. However, the 25-year-old will leave the Foals as a free agent in the summer transfer window to bring his spell to a close after five years.
To date, the Swiss international has made 144 appearances for Gladbach, chipping in with 11 goals and eight assists in the process. Zakaria’s impending status as a free agent has alerted some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Two of his prospective suitors are Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The interest from Barcelona is understandable, considering Sergio Busquets is in the final phase of his glittering career. In addition, there is a shroud of uncertainty surrounding the future of Frenkie de Jong, as Barcelona could sell the Dutch midfielder to balance their books and fund transfers in the summer transfer window.
To that end, Zakaria is a viable target for the Blaugrana, who have reportedly opened talks to sign the 25-year-old on a Bosman move in the summer. However, Barcelona will need to fend off competition from Real Madrid in the race to sign Zakaria.
Like Barcelona, the Merengues could do with a midfield addition, albeit for different reasons. Casemiro does not have a viable alternative in the Real Madrid squad, with the Brazilian also linked with a possible switch to Paris Saint-Germain. To that end, Zakaria is an option worth considering.
Now, Real Madrid could be poised to approach Zakaria over a possible Bosman move in the summer transfer window, with Carlo Ancelotti keen on bringing him into his squad. Meanwhile, Barcelona will be keeping their options open if they cannot sign Zakaria, with Corentin Tolisso the alternative to the Gladbach midfielder.
However, with Real Madrid also courting the Bayern Munich midfielder, it will be interesting to see where the Frenchman and Zakaria will end up once they leave their respective clubs in the summer. For now, it looks like Real Madrid could soon approach Zakaria, who can open negotiations over a pre-contract agreement this month.
