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We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie will be pleased to see West Ham sign Denis Zakaria on a loan-to-buy basis from Juventus because it means they’ll be able to see how well he can do before signing him permanently.
Sky Sports Italy’s Gianluca Di Marzio reported on Wednesday (5 July) that the Irons are readying a £15.3million permanent bid to sign 26-year-old midfielder Zakaria.
However, the London Evening Standard has since claimed on 7 July that after meeting with Juventus officials on Thursday (6 July), the Hammers could make an offer to sign the Switzerland international on an initial loan with an option-to-buy clause worth £16million.
It means there’ll still be plenty of money in the bank to sign midfielders after Declan Rice joins Arsenal for £105million.
McAvennie is a fan of loan-to-buy transfers, viewing it as a good opportunity for both West Ham and for Juventus, who’ve reportedly made Zakaria surplus to requirements.
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Speaking to West Ham Zone, McAvennie said: “It’ll be to make sure he’s still the right kind of player.
“I would think getting a player on loan is a good deal because you can see if he fits in the team or not. And if he doesn’t, you can send him back.
“They used to do that a lot in football, especially with foreign players to see if they can fit in and if things are working. Old-school managers used to do that so they could see if they fit in without spending the money.
“But if Zakaria does well in England then they might not want to sell him next summer.
“It’s a win-win for Juventus. If they’ve got him and he does well for West Ham, then West Ham can buy him at a certain price. Juventus will then hope he does well so they can get a lot of money for him or bring him back.
“It’s a good situation for both parties so we’ll see how that one goes.”
Zakaria spent last season on loan from Juventus at Chelsea but only played seven times in the Premier League.
In other West Ham news, this available Scotland international is being tipped to shine at the London Stadium if the Irons sign him.