Chelsea are set to sign Juventus star Denis Zakaria on a season-long loan
According to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Chelsea have reached an agreement with Juventus regarding a season long-loan for Deniz Zakaria.
The Blues are in the market for a midfielder and were linked with PSV Eindhoven star Sangare earlier in the day. Unfortunately for Thomas Tuchel and co, signing the Ivory Coast international appears to be a no-go, forcing them to seek other alternatives.
The man in question is Swiss international Zakaria, who joined Juventus last January. The central midfielder excels in both offensive and defensive roles and is an all-action player at the Allianz Stadium. The dynamism is something that Chelsea lack given their slow start to the season.
N’Golo Kante’s injury issues have cropped up once again, while Jorginho is not getting any younger. Mateo Kovacic remains reliable but could do with a partner in the middle of the park. More so, Zakaria is an excellent dribbler, who is capable of making late runs into the box. This will give Tuchel an added threat in an offensive setup that currently lacks bite.
Chelsea reached out to Juventus regarding the 27-year-old and an agreement has now been struck. The Blues will sign Zakaria on a season-long loan before potentially making the deal permanent next summer. Whether it will be an obligation or an option remains to be seen. Given how there are mere hours left before the transfer window shuts, it makes sense for the Blues to pursue a temporary arrangement that plugs their holes in the squad.
Tuchel and co have already experienced two losses in their first two games this season and could do with muscle in the middle of the park. Juventus, meanwhile, have already signed Paul Pogba and Leandro Paredes this summer, while Fabio Miretti is emerging as a reliable option from the youth ranks. Losing Zakaria is unlikely to leave a dent in Massimiliano Allegri’s plans heading into the 2022-23 campaign.
The Bianconeri have already reached an agreement with Liverpool to send Arthur Melo on a season-long loan to Anfield and Zakaria will now follow his Bianconeri teammate to the Premier League.
