Chelsea to study £27m move for on-loan midfielder in the summer - Reports
Chelsea are reportedly studying their chances of making Denis Zakaria's loan move from Italian giants Juventus permanent this summer.
The Switzerland international joined the Blues last summer on deadline day on a season-long loan from Juventus.
The Italian giants have also inserted a clause that could see Chelsea make his transfer permanent for just £27 million this summer. However, the Blues are yet to make a decision on signing Zakaria on a permanent deal upon the end of his loan spell at Stamford Bridge.
The 26-year-old midfielder initially found it difficult to secure game time with the Blues at the beginning of the 2022–23 football campaign. However, Zakaria became an integral part of Graham Potter's team after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar before picking up an injury against Fulham last month.
He is said to have suffered a quad injury during the Premier League encounter and has been out on the sidelines for several weeks.
Denis Zakaria is back in full training… ✅ https://t.co/UWPWx2yik1
The midfielder has however recovered from injury and was on the bench for Chelsea during their 1-0 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, Zakaria's parent club Juventus are keen on cashing-in on the midfielder for as low as £27 million this summer.
The Italian giants were hit with a 15-point deduction last month following financial irregularities allegedly committed by the Old Ladies.
Chelsea's decision to sign the Switzerland international could depend on a couple of factors. Recall that the Blues are also said to be interested in the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.
The West London club are also cautious of not breaching financial fair play rules after spending well over £600 million on transfers in the last two windows.
The Blues are expected to carry out a massive clear-out of their squad in a bid to balance their books amid possible financial fair play concerns.
"He has remained professional" - Graham Potter lauds Chelsea midfielder
Denis Zakaria back in team training. [chelseafc] #cfc https://t.co/dgDsLNFWhl
On-loan Blues midfielder Denis Zakaria has had to be patient in terms of securing game time since moving to Stamford Bridge this season.
The 26-year-old midfielder has featured sparingly for the Blues but gradually began to find his feet after the World Cup in December last year.
Head coach of the side, Graham Potter, praised the Switzerland international for being professional at Chelsea. He made this known during a post-match press conference in December last year.
In his words:
"Whenever Denis has played, he has not let us down. He's had to be patient. We had some good options in midfield and you have to remember, we didn't lose anything in the first few games so it was hard for him to get that opportunity."
He added:
"But he's remained professional and worked really hard and that's why he got his rewards on Tuesday night with a decent performance and contribution to the win."
The Blues are currently studying the possibility of signing Zakaria on a permanent deal. His parent club, Juventus, are willing to accept a fee in the region of £27 million for his services.