West Ham are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria this summer but don't want to spend the reported €20m asking price, according to a new report.
Did Zakaria have a good season?
The Hammers are on the lookout for some significant transfer business in the summer window, as they look to kick on after a disappointing Premier League season, but a campaign that ultimately saw them crowned winners of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
With Declan Rice looking almost certain to leave the London Stadium for a fresh challenge in the coming weeks, finding a replacement in midfield will be of the utmost importance for West Ham.
One player who has been linked with a move to east London recently is Zakaria, who is currently at Juventus but spent last season on loan at Chelsea, where he earned £90,000 per week. The Swiss had an underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge, though, being part of a struggling Blues team and only starting five league games in total.
Despite this, it looks as though he remains a transfer target for West Ham, though, and with an approach already made, a fresh update has emerged regarding his future.
Could Zakaria be off to West Ham?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], the Hammers "having carried out a survey" for Zakaria, with Juventus happy to let him leave the club before the beginning of next season. That being said, the mooted €20m (£17.1m) asking price is "too much" for West Ham, so a move is only likely to materlialise if they lower the price.
There is competition for the Juve man's signature, however, with Bundesliga pair Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund believed to have "sniffed out" a deal for him.
While Zakaria's time at Chelsea hasn't exactly enhanced his reputation as a player, he could still be an exciting signing by West Ham this summer, helping fill what is likely to be a sizeable void left by Rice in the middle of the park.
Former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole hailed him as "excellent" at one point last season, while a tally of 49 caps for Switzerland shows what an experienced international player he is, not to mention the fact that he has 125 Bundesliga appearances to his name.
At 26, Zakaria could be a strong signing for West Ham for four or five years, bringing a combination of 1.3 tackles and 1.1 clearances in the Premier League in 2022/23, while also ranking in the 99th percentile for medium and long passes completed.
