West Ham United are all set to establish fresh contacts with Juventus as they look to sign 26-year-old Swiss international Denis Zakaria.
According to a report by Gazzetta dello Sport via SportWitness, West Ham United are keen on having Denis Zakaria in their ranks. The 26-year-old has been identified as a potential replacement for Declan Rice who is all set to join Arsenal. The Hammers are all set to hold a new round of talks with Juventus over a permanent deal for the Swiss international.
Rice’s transfer to Arsenal is a certainty, the two clubs have reached a full agreement and the player is all set to have his medical on Friday. With the 24-year-old leaving the club, West Ham have a lot to think about.
His absence will leave a huge void in the centre of the park. The England international is amongst the best defensive midfielders going around and filling his void won’t be an easy task. However, the Hammers will have to try and cope with his absence by signing the best possible player they can.
They believe Denis Zakaria could be an ideal replacement for the 24-year-old. The Juventus midfielder was on loan at Chelsea last season and things didn’t really go according to plan for him. Zakaria featured in just 11 matches and was on the pitch for around 600 minutes.
He didn’t have the desired impact and in reality, he wasn’t given the amount of chances needed to showcase his talent in the Premier League. Despite having a disappointing season last time out, West Ham are willing to bet on him.
The Hammers initially were looking to sign him on loan with a buy option. However, with Rice’s departure bringing in a huge amount of cash, they are ready to sign him on a permanent basis. The two clubs have been in negotiations for a while but nothing concrete has come out as of now.
The Old Lady value him at €20 million as they want to make a decent profit having signed him for just €10 million from Borussia Mönchengladbach back in the winter of 2022.
Meanwhile, West Ham are all set to hold fresh talks for the 26-year-old on Wednesday. They are all set to discuss a permanent deal with Juventus. With the player no longer a part of Massimiliano Allegri’s plans, the Old Lady could let him leave for less than €20 million.
The manager likes tall players and he’s one of them. Good for these youngsters to learn from him though if he comes on loan or a straight cheap buy.