West Ham United transfer news as Juventus want £15m for Declan Rice replacement Denis Zakaria
Serie A club Juventus want €18-20million (£15-17million) for West Ham target Denis Zakaria, according to Calciomercato.
The publication noted that an agreement regarding the midfielder and the Hammers is approaching, with intermediaries currently at work.
The 26-year-old was one of several players that the club had already approached in an attempt to replace outgoing ace Declan Rice this summer, according to the Daily Mail (29 June).
“Intermediaries at work, an agreement that is approaching: West Ham are pushing for Denis Zakaria, Juve are aiming to get €18-20million even with the help of bonuses, the parties are less and less distant,” according to Calciomercato.
Rice replacement
West Ham have got to get to work on finding a Rice replacement, with the Hammers captain closing in on his big-money move to Premier League rivals Arsenal.
The midfielder is destined to stay in London, and that could be the case for Zakaria, who spent last season on loan in West London with Chelsea.
It was far from a successful temporary spell away from Juventus, with the Switzerland international making just 11 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, many of which came from the bench.
The lengthy list of arrivals at Stamford Bridge both last summer and in the January transfer window certainly didn’t help his cause, with injuries also disrupting his time at the club.
But the Hammers could offer the 26-year-old a fresh start in England, with regular playing time on the cards, both domestically and in Europe.
A move to East London would represent a stark change from his spell at Chelsea, with Zakaria set to become a key player in claret and blue if he does decide to go to West Ham.
In other West Ham news, one exit-bound Hammers attacker has headed to Sunderland ahead of a potential transfer to the Black Cats.