Manchester United are in talks over a potential deal to sign Denis Zakaria but Liverpool are also keen on the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder, according to SPORT1.
Zakaria is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in German football and has made over 130 first team appearance for Gladbach since joining the Bundesliga outfit from Young Boys in 2017.
However, the 25-year-old is expected to be on the move this year as his current contract expires in June and he’s no closer to signing an extension so Gladbach are prepared to cash-in this month rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season.
The situation has alerted clubs throughout Europe with SPORT1 claiming that Man Utd and Liverpool are keen on luring Zakaria to England while Borussia Dortmund and Juventus are also showing a serious interest.
Jurgen Klopp is being tipped to dip into the market for a new midfielder with James Milner’s career coming to an end while Naby Keita could be on the move after a mixed time at Anfield and Zakaria is seemingly on Liverpool’s radar.
However, Manchester United have stolen a march on their rivals as SPORT1 claims the Red Devils are in talks over a potential deal with interim boss Ralf Rangnick reportedly playing a central role in the negotiations.
Bargain deal
The German news outlet says United could secure a deal for the 6ft 3inch midfielder at a cut-price £5m [€6m] such is Gladbach’s desire to sell this month rather than lose Zakaria for nothing in six months time.
It would be an excellent piece of business if Man Utd could snap-up a player of Zakaria’s quality for just £5m as it’s well below his true market value and they’d have to pay significantly more if he was tied to a long term contract.
Midfield has become an area United need to strengthen as Paul Pogba could walk away for nothing when his contract expires in June while Nemanja Matic is coming towards the end of his career. Many Manchester United fans also feel they need upgrades for Fred and Scott McTominay, and Zakaria would surely fit the bill nicely.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming weeks as Liverpool could still step-up their interest in Zakaria but as it stands it appears Man Utd are leading the race to sign the Swiss international.
