Transfer Centre

West Ham United ready to push for Denis Zakaria signing?

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 30 June 2023

West Ham ready to push for Denis Zakaria signing?

West Ham United are allegedly keen to secure a deal for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, who has just spent a season on loan at Chelsea.

West Ham United are reportedly pressing ahead with their bid to sign Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Earlier this week, it was widely reported that the Hammers had finally agreed a deal with Arsenal over the sale of key man Declan Rice.

The Europa Conference League winners are expected to recoup in the region of £105m for the England international, subsequently providing David Moyes with the funds to acquire at least one alternative for the centre of the pitch.

How much of that fee that Moyes decides to spend on one player remains to be seen with Joao Palhinha, James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez - of Fulham, Southampton and Ajax respectively - all being linked with a switch to the London Stadium.

However, Moyes will want to add fresh faces in other areas of the pitch, and it appears that he is given consideration to finding a replacement for Rice for a cut-price fee.

West Ham United manager David Moyes on May 11, 2023 © Reuters

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, West Ham are attempting to negotiate a fee with Juventus for the signature of Zakaria.

On the final day of last year's summer transfer window, the Switzerland international moved on loan to Chelsea, the feeling being that he would earn regular football at Stamford Bridge.

Instead, Thomas Tuchel was sacked less than a week later and the 26-year-old rarely featured under Graham Potter or Frank Lampard, being provided with just 413 minutes of Premier League football.

Just two of those outings came from March onwards, it subsequently coming as no surprise when Chelsea failed to take up their option to buy Zakaria on a permanent basis.

Denis Zakaria celebrates with his Chelsea teammates against Dinamo Zagreb on November 2, 2022. © Reuters

Nevertheless, Zakaria produced a number of effective performances when given the chance, his reduced game time more to do with an overload of midfielders at Chelsea and preference being given to players signed on permanent deals.

Despite his return to Turin, Juventus want to cash in on Zakaria, with the Italian giants allegedly open to accepting a fee of €20m (£17.2m).

Juventus are eager to raise funds having only qualified for next season's Europa Conference League through a seventh-placed finish in Serie A.

Club officials had hoped to generate money through Zakaria, Arthur and Weston McKennie completing permanent moves to Chelsea, Liverpool and Leeds United respectively, but none of the teams activated their buy clauses at the end of the campaign.