West Ham United transfer news as deal agreed for Denis Zakaria
West Ham have reached an agreement with Juventus for long-term transfer target Denis Zakaria, who spent last season on loan at Chelsea, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport [page 7].
The Italian newspaper shared via its print edition on 30 July that the Hammers have agreed a deal in principle, although they are not the only club to do so, as Monaco and Leipzig have also reached a conclusion in their talks with the Italian giants.
Zakaria has been one of West Ham’s key targets this summer, with talks having been ongoing for a number of weeks, following Declan Rice’s departure confirmed over two weeks ago, on 15 July.
A three-horse race
West Ham will be hoping they can offer Zakaria a better deal than their competitors, with the allure of playing in the Premier League often enough of a draw to get a deal over the line, as they still await their first signing of the summer transfer window.
Zakaria spent last season on loan with London rivals Chelsea, where he made just 11 appearances in all competitions in a turbulent season with the Blues.
His time in West London, however ineffective, did prove to be worthwhile, as when he did play for Chelsea he often left fans and pundits impressed by his displays. He was also a regular in the Swiss national team, with WhoScored giving him an average rating of 7.60 from four appearances in the European Championships group stages.
West Ham will be hopeful of beating off the interest from other European clubs as they look to make the Swiss midfielder the first of several new signings before the transfer deadline, with the season opener less than two weeks away.
This news comes following reports in The Guardian [29 July] surrounding a power struggle between David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten leading to delays in the club’s transfer business with multiple disagreements.
In other West Ham news, there has been a dramatic change in West Ham’s pursuit of a new transfer.