West Ham United transfer news as £17m Denis Zakaria deal to be completed Monday
Denis Zakaria’s transfer to West Ham United is expected to be completed on Monday (10 July) in a deal worth around €20million [£17m], according to TuttoSport.
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.
After reports emerged over the past week suggesting a loan deal was on the cards for the former on-loan Chelsea midfielder, it’s now been said that a £17m permanent transfer is said to be completed, according to Tuttosport (8 July)
According to the report, West Ham United should complete their first summer addition over the next 48 hours, on Monday.
Sensible move
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.
It seems as if the Hammers will be getting Zakaria a permanent deal now which certainly presents more risks if it doesn’t work but such a signing clearly shows the Irons know what they are doing as they look to move past their former captain.
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.
Zakaria, 26, is of a perfect age and profile for West Ham United to exploit right now, plus his European and Premier League experience certainly represents such sensible and smart recruitment by the Hammers.
He certainly shouldn’t be judged on his difficult spell at Stamford Bridge after suffering from injury and a lack of opportunities, but when he did start, the Swiss international certainly showed his box-to-box dynamism and class which will be incredibly useful at the London Stadium.
However, Zakaria shouldn’t be the only midfield singing West Ham make this summer, they’d need another sound defensive midfielder to go alongside the Juventus man, and Alvarez and Palhinha would be sensational captures.
In other West Ham news, Gianluca Scamacca’s future is up in the air after a loan move was blocked.