Monaco have reportedly lodged an opening bid to rescue out-of-favour Denis Zakaria from his misery at Juventus.
Fabrizio Romano states the 26-year-old is among the Ligue 1 club’s top summer priorities as new boss Adi Hutter looks to revamp the squad he inherited from Philippe Clement at the end of last season.
The 53-year-old manager is familiar with the Switzerland international’s characteristics, having coached him for six months at Borussia Monchengladbach in 2021.
Juventus ended their partnership abruptly in January 2022 when they splashed out €8.6 million to sign Zakaria, who was down to the final six months of his contract at Borussia Park.
After thriving in the Bundesliga, the Swiss midfielder failed to shine in Serie A, making just 11 league appearances for Massimiliano Allegri’s team before being loaned out to Chelsea last summer.
He couldn’t have picked a worse moment to join the Stamford Bridge outfit. The Blues experienced their worst Premier League season in the 21st century, which didn’t aid Zakaria’s bid to rekindle his career.
Chelsea refused to take up the buyout option after only handing him seven league outings, and the ex-Gladbach man is on the lookout for a new home.
Juventus have informed Zakaria that his services are no longer required, which could facilitate his move to Monaco, where his former associate Hutter would be waiting in the wings.
However, Les Monegasques are not the lone runners in the race to sign Zakaria.
West Ham United have recently contacted the Italians to collect information about the misfit as David Moyes’ search for Declan Rice’s successor continues.
Rice has joined Arsenal in a record-breaking deal, leaving a massive hole in his wake after being the beating heart of West Ham’s midfield for half a decade.
A potential return to the Premier League could be tempting for Zakaria, although the lure of working with Hutter again should give Monaco the upper hand in this prospective bidding contest.
