Juventus decide to sell Chelsea loanee Zakaria

Stuart Telford

• 17 Feb 2023 13:19 GMT
• 3 min read

Juventus have decided to sell Denis Zakaria at the conclusion of his loan spell with Chelsea next summer.

Zakaria was, alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang, the last signing of the Thomas Tuchel era before the German tactician was sacked by Todd Boehly last September.

After a difficult start to his Stamford Bridge career - not helped by a thigh injury - the Swiss has settled into his stride in west London, impressing, when given the chance, in central midfield, completing 35 passes and 75 per cent of his tackles in the Premier League.

READ: Forget Enzo! Chelsea MUST sign Zakaria after Man City performance

Chelsea have the option to make Zakaria's deal permanent for €30 million at the end of the campaign, but Juventus are determined to sell him whether or not Stamford Bridge is his permanent destination.

Juve selling no matter what

"Juventus have decided to sell Denis Zakaria at the end of his loan spell at Chelsea," report the Evening Standard. "If Chelsea do not make an offer, Juventus hope that another English club will have seen his impact in west London and make a bid similar to his £27m clause."

Chelsea might be tempted to make a move for Zakaria, although a lot could depend on UEFA's new Financial Stability Rules with the Blues already on the watchlist after Boehly sanctioned more than €600m on players across the last two transfer windows.

READ: Joao Felix predicted Enzo Fernandez’s instant Chelsea impact

Enzo Fernandez, another midfielder, became the most expensive player in Premier League history when he swapped Benfica for Chelsea in a €121m deal in January, and the club retain an interest in England pair Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

Zakaria might ultimately be the budget-friendly way for the Blues to keep their midfield bolstered, with Jorginho having been sold to Arsenal and N'Golo Kante increasingly injury-prone and out of contract at the end of the season.