Manchester United are eyeing a move to sign Denis Zakaria but will face stiff competition from Liverpool to land the £25m-rated Borussia Monchengladbach star, according to the Mirror.
Interim United boss Ralf Rangnick has endured a mixed start to life at Old Trafford and the Red Devils currently sit seventh in the Premier League table following Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Wolves.
Rangnick could dip into the transfer market this month to strengthen his squad for the second half of the season with a holding midfielder reportedly a priority. Man Utd have been heavily criticised for their lack of depth in the middle of the park with Fred and Scott McTominay the regulars in recent weeks so fresh blood is needed.
The Mirror claims that Manchester United are eyeing a move for Zakaria after identifying the Borussia Monchengladbach star as a potential transfer target.
The newspaper says Rangnick wants a physical presence in midfield and 6ft 3in Zakaria would fit the bill nicely, while the Swiss international is also known for his quality in possession and for his ball carrying ability. Therefore, the 25-year-old would be an excellent addition to the United squad if a deal could be agreed.
Out of contract
Zakaria is out of contract in the summer so is able to hold talks with foreign clubs about a free transfer move at the end of the season but United aren’t the only club in the running. The Mirror says that Liverpool are also in the race for his signature along with Barcelona, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
However, the newspaper suggests that Man Utd could pay around £25m to sign Zakaria this month and avoid having to battle it out with the likes of Liverpool over a free transfer in the summer.
Gladbach have already confirmed Zakaria won’t be signing a new contract and will leave the club so I’m sure they would be open to the idea of getting a sizeable fee by cashing in this winter, rather than lose him for nothing in 6 months time.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop as Liverpool would provide stiff competition if they decided to step-up their interest in Zakaria. Jurgen Klopp is expected to strengthen his midfield options either this month or in the summer and Zakaria has long been linked with a move to Anfield.
