Barcelona have reportedly made contact with the representatives of Denis Zakaria, who will be leaving Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season.
According to a report from Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have established contact with the agent of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria over a potential move in the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old Zakaria arrived at Gladbach from Swiss outfit BSC Young Boys in the summer of 2017 and has grown into a key player for the German giants. To date, the defensive midfielder, who can also slot in as a centre-half, has made 144 appearances for Die Fohlen, scoring 11 goals and chalking up eight assists.
A regular fixture in the side when fit and available, Zakaria has established himself as one of the most reliable operators in his position in the Bundesliga. However, the midfielder’s future had become a subject of much speculation at the start of the season as he entered the final year of his contract with Gladbach.
Earlier this week, the Bundesliga outfit confirmed that the Switzerland international will not extend his contract and depart from Borussia-Park at the end of the ongoing campaign. With Zakaria set to become a free agent, teams are queuing up to sign him up in the summer, with Barcelona among the clubs interested.
The Catalans have been monitoring the situation of the 25-year-old for quite a while now. Manager Xavi Hernandez has several options at his disposal in the middle of the park, with veteran star Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi and Nico Gonzalez. However, with Busquets not getting any younger, the Blaugrana could do with a new enforcer in their ranks.
While Zakaria would not necessarily be a like-for-like replacement for the Barcelona skipper, he would add something different to this team with his physicality and strength. At the same time, he can also provide a box-to-box presence from midfield.
What makes him an even more appealing prospect for Barcelona is that Zakaria would be available on a free transfer, given that they are facing financial difficulties and are hoping to bring in one marquee signing in the summer. To that end, the Catalans have gotten in touch with his agents to explore the possibility of a transfer.
However, Barcelona are not alone in doing so as the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus are also believed to have opened talks with Zakaria’s representatives along with two clubs from the Premier League. So, it will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana are successful in their pursuit of the Switzerland star.
