Chelsea are reportedly pondering replacing Denis Zakaria with key target Edson Alvarez in January, with Graham Potter unimpressed by the Swiss midfielder.
According to Medio Tiempo, Chelsea are pondering returning Denis Zakaria to Juventus in January and attempting to bring Edson Alvarez as his replacement. The Ajax ace was one of their key targets in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, while new manager Graham Potter remains unimpressed with the Swiss midfielder.
Denis Zakaria’s time at Chelsea has not panned out well since signing up for the club on deadline day. The Swiss midfielder is yet to make an appearance for the Blues, and Graham Potter reportedly remains unimpressed by his application in training.
The Swiss midfielder arrived at Thomas Tuchel’s request late in the window, as Chelsea were short of midfielders. He came on loan with an option to buy him permanently. The Blues are now pondering cancelling the deal and returning Zakaria to Juventus as early as January.
They want to focus on bringing summer target Edson Alvarez and are ready to rekindle their interest in the Mexican international. Chelsea chased the Ajax ace in the latter stages of the window, but the Dutch giants were uninterested in sanctioning a sale.
Alvarez has a contract until 2025, putting Ajax in a healthy position to demand a sizeable transfer fee. Chelsea were looking to offer around €50 million previously, and considering the nature of the January window, the Mexican could cost more.
Potter has been keen on adding another midfielder to his ranks after taking over the club a few weeks ago. He has extensively used Mateo Kovacic so far in his tenure and ensured Zakaria is not in his plans. Chelsea’s other midfield stalwarts, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, have to sort their futures out, with the latter out with a significant injury.
Signing Alvarez would signal intent from Chelsea, whose new owner, Todd Boehly, is keen to build an exciting project. The Mexican international has started all but one of the games for Ajax in the Eredivisie, providing two assists so far.
Alvarez could be a crucial signing for Chelsea, hoping to be in a challenging position when the January transfer window opens. The Blues are currently sitting in a decent place on the table, and a few slip-ups from those above could put them in the mix for the title.
