In a recent tweet, Bild‘s Head of Football Christian Falk has stated that Manchester City are ready to table a bid around €40m for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria next summer. It is believed that the Mancunian outfit are planning to make a move for the Swiss midfield ace as Pep Guardiola looks to strengthen his squad at the end of this campaign.
True: @ManCity is preparing an offer of around 40 million euros in summer for Denis Zakaria @borussia @BILD_Sport pic.twitter.com/PxvA2zH7ls
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) October 30, 2020
Zakaria’s Impressive Form In German Football
The Genf-born talent has made a real impact at the Borussia-Park after producing a series of commanding displays for them at the centre of Marco Rose’s midfield. Since joining from BSC Young Boys back in 2017, the 23-year-old has gone on to feature in 96 matches for the German club so far, registering eight goals and six assists in various competitions.
Zakaria was in fine form for his current employers last season when he averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 1.0 shots, 0.5 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per game in the Bundesliga. He has even distributed possession relatively well from midfield as evident from his pass success rate of 86.7% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The 28-time Switzerland international has currently got less than two years remaining on his current contract at the Borussia-Park, so it won’t be a surprise if Monchengladbach opt to cash in on him next summer or else risk losing him for free in 2022.
What Will The Swiss Midfielder Bring To The Table?
Standing at 1.90m, Zakaria can be an intimidating presence at the centre of the park. He has got the strength to overpower the opposition in the air and is quite aggressive with his tackles as well. The Switzerland international is quick to read the danger, which helps him earn possession back for his side. He can also use his quickness to make some driving runs with the ball and is usually an accurate passer.
Is Zakaria The Right Fit For Man City?
Zakaria is one of the most promising midfielders in the Bundesliga at the moment and has already proven his worth as an all-round contributor under the stewardship of Marco Rose. He will add a lot of bite and steel to Pep Guardiola’s midfield and could even increase competition for places within the Spaniard’s squad.
At 23, Zakaria is only going to get better with each season, so it makes sense for Man City to orchestrate a move to bring him to the Etihad Stadium at the end of this campaign. He has got a bit of everything in his locker and could serve as an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho in the coming seasons. Furthermore, the Swiss midfielder can also play as a centre-back if needed, which would make him a great fit for Guardiola’s side next summer.
