Arsenal and Manchester United face a tough battle with Bayern Munich over a bargain £6m deal to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria, according to The Sun.
Zakaria has developed into one of the best all-round midfield players in German football since joining Gladbach from Young Boys in 2017 and he’s also a regular for the Switzerland national team with 38 caps to his name so far.
However, the 25-year-old’s future at Borussia Park is in serious doubt as he has just 6 months remaining on his current contract and isn’t expected to sign an extension so Gladbach need to sell now rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season.
The situation has alerted clubs throughout Europe, including here in the Premier League, with The Sun claiming that Arsenal and Manchester United are both keen on luring Zakaria to England.
Mikel Arteta is scouring the market for midfield reinforcements as he looks to boost Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the top four this season and it appears the Gunners have identified Zakaria as a potential target.
Manchester United are also being tipped to bring in another midfielder as Paul Pogba could be leaving after refusing to sign a new contract while a long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic – who turns 34 this year – is also needed.
Donny van de Beek has struggled to settle at Old Trafford following his move from Ajax so United are on the hunt for at least one midfielder and The Sun says recent reports have suggested the Red Devils have already put forward a proposal to Zakaria.
According to the newspaper, Manchester United are prepared to pay a fee to get a deal done this month rather than wait until the summer and Gladbach are willing to do business if a £6m offer is put on the table.
That would represent a bargain for a player of Zakaria’s quality and there is no doubt he’d cost a lot more than £6m if it wasn’t for his precarious contract situation, so it’s no surprise the English giants are eyeing a cut-price deal.
However, it appears United and Arsenal now face stiff competition from Germany as The Sun says Bayern Munich have joined the race to sign Zakaria as they look for a replacement for Corentin Tolisso – who’s expected to leave in the summer.
Obviously Bayern will be a tempting proposition for any player so Man Utd and Arsenal face a real battle to land Zakaria if the Bundesliga giants formalise their interest for a firm offer.
