In a recent report, Sky Sports has revealed that Manchester City are keeping tabs on Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria. It is believed that the Mancunian outfit are monitoring the Swiss talent’s progress in Germany this season after launching enquiries for him last summer (via Sky Sports).
Zakaria’s Impressive Season In Germany Despite Early Injury Struggles
The 24-year-old is having another solid season at Borussia-Park as he has been responsible for putting in some impressive displays at the heart of Marco Rose’s midfield. However, he missed the early stages of this campaign because of a knee injury. The Swiss sensation has featured in 24 matches for the German outfit this term, netting one goal and picking up four yellow cards in the process across all competitions.
Zakaria has done a lot of the defensive dirty work at the centre of the park but could still improve his all-round contributions in midfield. He is averaging 1.3 tackles, 0.6 key passes, 1.0 clearances and 0.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League this season. The midfield workhorse has taken care of the ball well when distributing it from midfield after making 89% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
There is still a lot of room for improvement in Zakaria’s game but he is only going to get better in the coming seasons when he hits the peak stage of his playing career. Hence, he could be a good addition to Man City’s squad if Pep Guardiola decides to launch a move to bring him to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
What Are The Swiss International’s Best Attributes?
Zakaria excels at interrupting the opposition’s flow in the game and can protect his teammates at the back quite well by reading the danger quickly and making some crucial interceptions for his team.
The 28-time Swiss international has decent pace in his locker that helps him pull off a few important recovering runs at the back. Plus, he can use his powerful 1.90m frame to outmuscle the opposition and win his fair share of 50-50 duels in the air.
Is Zakaria The Right Choice For Man City?
Zakaria has also got a good work ethic and is usually quite calm when in possession of the ball. Therefore, the Monchengladbach midfield enforcer will be an excellent signing for Man City as he has what it takes to form a dominant midfield partnership with Rodri in Guardiola’s first-team next season. Furthermore, Zakaria could serve as an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho, who has got less than six months remaining in his contract at the Etihad Stadium.
