Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria is set to leave the club at the end of the season, with Arsenal reportedly among the clubs interested in signing him.
The Switzerland international, 25, will see his contract with Borussia Monchengladbach expire at the end of the season. He doesn’t want to sign an extension at Borussia Park, with the Bundesliga club already confirming that the defensive midfielder will leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
According to reports in Germany and Fussball Transfers, Arsenal are keen on Denis Zakaria but they will have to fend off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus to secure his signature.
The Swiss midfielder will be free to negotiate with his suitors in January when he enters the final six months of his contract, with Everton and Leicester City both reaching out to the midfielder’s camp to express their interest, claim 90min.
Bei weiteren Spielern, deren Verträge zum Saisonende auslaufen, gibt es Klarheit: @Deniszakaria8 hat Borussia mitgeteilt, dass er den Verein im Sommer verlassen möchte. Auch @MatzeGinter wird in der nächsten Saison nicht mehr für #dieFohlen spielen.
➡️ https://t.co/oMLtYmACrd pic.twitter.com/CLCRgEl3KF— Borussia (@borussia) December 29, 2021
Zakaria joined Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2017 from Young Boys and has gone onto feature 144 times across all competitions, scoring 11 goals. He has made 15 league appearances this season, as Gladbach lie just two points above the relegation zone.
Why Arsenal must make a move for Denis Zakaria
Arsenal have been on the up since late October and are in a good position in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta’s side are now considered as one of the favourites to finish in the top four along with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Despite signing as many as six players in the summer, they still have gaping holes in certain areas of the squad. One of them is the midfield, with Arteta lacking both quality and depth.
When fit and available, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are the regular starters in midfield under Arteta, but neither of them have been at their best this season. Albert Sambi Lokonga is still adapting to the rigours of Premier League football following his summer move from Belgian club Anderlecht.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is also an option in midfield but he wants to leave the Emirates Stadium in January for regular game time, while Mohamed Elneny is out of contract at the end of the season. Thus, the Gunners must bolster their midfield options next summer, which makes Denis Zakaria an ideal target.
A defensive midfielder by trade, Zakaria can also operate at centre-back and help his team when required. He is an effective distributor of the ball from the base of the midfield. The 25-year-old is a strong and intimidating presence who is excellent at winning aerial duels and breaking the opposition’s play.
The Switzerland international works very hard throughout the game, and that combined with his passing ability, tackling skills and physical traits make him a perfect fit for Arsenal’s style of play under Arteta.
There is still plenty of room for improvement, though. Nonetheless, the Gunners should be all over Zakaria and have him signed on a pre-contract agreement to join their forces from next season.