Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria has lifted the lid on his decision to snub a move to Manchester United in January in favour of the Bianconeri.
Speaking to La Tribune de Geneve, as relayed by the Mirror, Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria has opened up on his decision to reject a chance to sign for Manchester United in the January transfer window.
Zakaria was a man in demand in the transfer market as his contract with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach was set to run out at the end of the season. Interest in the Switzerland international was very high, with several clubs plotting to sign him on a free transfer in the summer, while a few planned to capture him in January in a cut-price deal.
Manchester United were among the interested parties who wanted to bring in the former BSC Young Boys midfielder to Old Trafford. The Red Devils have lacked the presence of a proper No. 6 in their ranks for a while now, and signing someone like Zakaria would have addressed the issue for the years to come.
Reports had even claimed that interim manager Ralf Rangnick had spoken to Zakaria to convince him to move to Manchester United in January. However, that is not how things panned out as the midfielder ended up snubbing the Premier League giants in favour of a transfer to Juventus.
Bellissimo! ?? First match, first goal, first win. Forza Juve! ⚫️⚪️ #DZ28 @juventusfc pic.twitter.com/tgzfK92z3p
— ZAK 8 (@Deniszakaria8) February 6, 2022
Now, speaking about his decision to join Juventus over Manchester United and other clubs, Zakaria said: “Because Juventus are the club that showed the most desire to sign me. There is something to do with the feeling too.
“You can feel the way people talk to you, the interest people have in you. Other clubs that approached me were more reserved. With Juve, there was an immediate real interest in me, with concrete things from the outset. It’s pleasant, rewarding, and that made the difference.”
Zakaria made a blistering start to life in Turin as he scored on his debut in the 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona, along with fellow January arrival Dusan Vlahovic. The 25-year-old midfielder seems to be settling in well at Juventus. At the same time, Manchester United have shifted their focus back to West Ham United’s Declan Rice to bolster their midfield department before next season.