Why Manchester United should make a move for Denis Zakaria
As per Sky Sports (h/t Daily Star), Manchester United are leading the race to sign midfielder Denis Zakaria, who plies his trade with Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany.
Zakaria, 23, came through the youth ranks of Servette in Switzerland before joining BSC Young Boys in 2015. After making 67 appearances for the Swiss giants, he moved to Monchengladbach in the summer of 2017.
Since then, he has been an integral member of the squad, helping them to qualify for the Europa League this season. He has been in fine form this term helping Monchengladbach stay at the top of the table for quite some time as they aim for Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have been brilliant in recent weeks and are on a 10-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. They have done well in terms of both attacking and defensive duties, keeping a clean sheet in 8 of the last 10 games.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men beat Manchester City last weekend and have closed the gap within fourth-placed Chelsea with 3 points and are aiming for a finish in the top four. However, one area the manager should look to strengthen is the defensive midfield position.
Nemanja Matic is the only option available at the manager’s disposal and the Serbian has just extended his contract for a year. This would make United left without a natural defensive midfielder at the end of next season. Hence, it would be wise to go all out and bring in reinforcement for the deep-lying role.
In that case, Denis Zakaria would be a viable option for the Red Devils, who have had limited options in the middle pf park prior to the signing of Bruno Fernandes and the return of Scott McTominay form injury.
Zakaria has been in scintillating form for the Bundesliga outfit, featuring in all but one league game before he picked up a knee injury last weekend, scoring 2 goals and providing 2 assists.
The 23-year-old is a defensive midfielder by trade, but has also featured as a centre-back on several occasions for Monchengladbach and is comfortable in both the key positions. He has also been impressive while joining in the team’s attack and that is evident for the goals and assists, he has racked up so far.
The Swiss international is a versatile player and could be a valuable asset for United if he is able to learn and develop himself under Solskjaer. He can form to be a key member alongside Fernandes, McTominay and Fred in United’s midfield, given his ability and potentials.
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Verdict
At 23, Zakaria is in the form of his life and has a lot to offer. And United should make use of him in the future. He is capable of providing stability in the midfield and can also be used as a back up for the central defenders.
Hence, Solskjaer must go all out for the Swiss international and must beat the likes of Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Dortmund, who are also interested in securing his services as per the report.