Everton want to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria
Everton are among a trio of Premier League clubs chasing the signature of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria, according to BILD.
The German news outlet claims the 24-year-old is being eyed by Everton as well as north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
There is said to be certainty on behalf of the Swiss international and the Bundesliga side that he will move on to pastures new this summer, with Italian giants Roma and Napoli also interested.
Bild report that the “powerful” [Daily Mail] Zakaria could be signed for a cut-price fee due to his persistent injury issues since March 2020, with Gladbach willing to drop their original £33.9million asking price, to just £16.9million.
That’s likely also in part due to the little time that is left on his current contract, which expires in June 2022 [Transfermarkt].
Time for fresh faces
New Everton manager Rafa Benitez has a plethora of options in central midfield, but many of them have failed to sufficiently impress.
Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan were both signed last summer and enjoyed impressive starts to their Goodison Park careers, though the Brazilian failed to live up to his initial billing after returning from a lengthy lay-off in the winter period.
However, both can be fairly assured of their place in the team and squad, which can’t be said for the rest.
Tom Davies probably has the best chance of accruing minutes this season, but Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph both appear to be surplus to requirements.
As such, there is space for a new central midfielder, and Zakaria is a player that has impressed in Germany with some all-action displays, while he was also a regular in Switzerland’s recent European Championship campaign, where they lost on penalties to Spain in the quarter-finals.
He may have suffered some injury misfortune at Gladbach, but he has still made at least 23 Bundesliga appearances in all four of his seasons at the club, reaching the 30-game mark in the first two.
In other Everton news, the Blues want to sign this 2020/21 European title winner who was at Real Madrid under Rafa Benitez.
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