West Ham United are reportedly keen on signing Denis Zakaria in the summer, with talks already underway with Juventus.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, West Ham United are in talks to sign 26-year-old Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria who was recently on loan at Chelsea. The Swiss international had a disappointing loan spell at the West London club, and it is quite surprising that West Ham are looking to sign him.
It is no secret that the Hammers need to bring in midfield reinforcements, especially with players like Declan Rice being linked with a move away. And they recently set their sights on signing Denis Zakaria from Juventus.
However, West Ham should look to aim higher than Zakaria. The 26-year-old Swiss international was a massive flop at Chelsea, and it remains to be seen whether he can turn things around with the move to West Ham.
Meanwhile, Rice wants to join a club in the UEFA Champions League, and West Ham will have to replace him adequately. The 24-year-old England international is thought to be a target for Arsenal and Manchester City.
As for Zakaria, the 26-year-old does not have a future at Juventus. And the Serie A club will look to get rid of him permanently this summer. It remains to be seen whether West Ham can agree on a deal with the Italian giants. For now, talks between West Ham and Juventus are underway for the Chelsea flop.
The Hammers should have no shortage of financial resources especially if Rice is sold. The England international is likely to fetch a substantial amount of money this summer. Zakaria was a quality player during his time in the Bundesliga. But he has not been at his best since moving to Italy.
There is no doubt that he has the technical attributes to succeed in the Premier League, and he showed flashes of his quality during his time at Chelsea. However, he struggled for regular game time at Stamford Bridge, and perhaps regular first-team action at West Ham could unlock his quality once again. Zakaria had just 413 minutes of action in the Premier League.
It will be interesting to see how the situation develops in the next few weeks and whether West Ham can get the deal across the line. Given his importance at Juventus, the midfielder is likely to be available for a bargain this summer. The 26-year-old Swiss international has a contract with Juventus until the summer of 2026.
