West Ham United transfer news as Juventus now want £21million for Denis Zakaria
The ever-changing transfer rumours surrounding the West Ham move for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria have taken another twist, and Sky Sports are reporting the Italian side want £21.3million for the ex-Chelsea man.
According to Sky Sports, the Hammers have held positive talks with Juventus over Zakaria, and it is now thought that the Italian giants would only want to agree to a permanent deal, or a loan as long as it includes an obligation to buy.
There is also a reported gap in their valuation, with Juventus wanting £21.3million for the midfielder, while West Ham are unwilling to pay that much. It had been reported previously that Juventus wanted £17million [TuttoSport, 8 July], and separately that the price may drop as low as £8million [The Mirror, 10 July].
The clubs need to reach an agreement that works for both parties
With all manner of different transfer fees being banded about, it is important that the clubs can reach an eventual agreement that suits them both. West Ham will not want to overpay for the player, but Juventus will feel they can get a reasonable fee.
Zakaria joined Juventus from Borussia Monchengladbach for £8.5million in 2022, and the Italian club will be looking to make a large return on their investment, despite the midfielder featuring just 15 times for the club.
West Ham are in the market for a midfielder after losing Declan Rice to Arsenal in a £105million deal, with Zakaria the first name on their list, but if a deal cannot be reached with Juventus, they have a number of other targets to go for.
The Hammers have been linked to Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse recently, as well as Bristol City’s young star Alex Scott [Football Insider, 9 July], Edson Alvarez [The Guardian, 9 June] and Amadou Onana [The Sun, 8 July].
This is something to watch.
In other West Ham news, a club director has jetted back to London to find total agreement over striker transfer.