West Ham United progress in talks to sign Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, £11.1m bid made
West Ham United are progressing in talks to sign Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria this summer, with the Hammers tabling a £11.1million bid, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
Hammers are set to splash the Rice cash on some new signings as David Moyes looks to rebuild his squad through the post-Rice era, and former on-loan Chelsea midfielder Zakaria has emerged as a top target to bolster the midfield.
The Daily Mail reported on 10 July that the Hammers are still some way to an agreement with Juventus to sign their top target after further talks were held, but according to Di Marzio taking to his website (13 July), West Ham are progressing in “small steps” to secure their newest signing of the summer.
Go for him
With Edson Alvarez and Joao Palhinha both reportedly emerging on Moyes’ list to kick off their post-Rice revolution at the London Stadium, West Ham United have now seemingly got their impressive rebuild off to a good start.
Zakaria represents a smart and sensible addition to the West Ham United ranks this summer and is a marquee signing that the club must go in strongly for.
It remains to be seen whether Juventus will accept this latest bid and the Hammers may well have to add some more million to the deal, but all signs certainly point towards an agreement being reached between the two parties in the coming days.
The Swiss international certainly can’t fill the Rice hole by himself, but he arguably represents an upgrade on exit-linked Tomas Soucek who suffered a dramatic decline in his form and performance levels throughout the last season and is something the Irons simply have to address with his contract up in 2024.
If David Moyes can return the former on-loan Chelsea star to the kind of performances he showed before his move to the Old Lady, then West Ham United certainly have a stunning player on their hands.
Zakaria shouldn’t be considered an out-an-out defensive midfielder, although he can play the role, he’s a dynamic box-to-box presence capable of wreaking havoc on and off the ball which the Hammers could do well to possess next season.
In other West Ham news, Gianluca Scamacca’s future is up in the air after a loan move was blocked.