Gianluca Di Marzio: “Rome and Juve (and not only!): A great desire for Zakaria. Background and strategy”
His name is destined to become one of the catchphrases of the next winter transfer market, an opportunity at a low cost not to be missed for those looking for reinforcements in the median. Around Denis Zakaria, midfielder born in 1996 whose contract expires in June 2022 with Borussia Mönchengladbach, the maneuvers have already begun for a long time and in January an Italian duel between Rome and Juventus is expected, but also to deal with the desire of Borussia Dortmund to bring the player at Rose’s court. But how are things today around the Swiss national team midfielder who is so popular in Serie A?
Roma almost had him in their hands, then a background …
Roma were convinced that they had hit in hand and for weeks they had been working to perfect the best strategy to give it to José Mourinho, who identified the department to be reinforced with greater urgency in January in the midfield. And Denis Zakaria was and still is the profile that responds to the identikit traced by the Special One. As early as the beginning of October, Roma had very clear what to do: obtain the player’s yes for June and then show up in January, six months before the expiry of the contract of the 1996 class, from Mönchengladbach to try to anticipate the operation behind the payment. of a minimum indemnity or with the promise of future bonuses. To complicate, and not a little, the Giallorossi’s plans, however, came the background linked to the change of agents by the Swiss in recent weeks: the new entourage has higher requests for his visa, also due to competition that with the passage of the months it has become more and more important and now it is back in full swing. Rome, however, has not gone so far as to surrender, which at the moment does not actually have other solutions for the median, but hopes to be able to hit the goal it has been working on for some time.
The inclusion of Juve and the danger of Dortmund
After the change of agents, the future of Zakaria – who seemed destined to be tinged with yellow and red – is back in question. Roma did not have but to let go, to deal with a competition to battle. And the main danger for the Giallorossi comes from Serie A: in fact, Juventus also set their sights on Zakaria, tempted by the greedy transfer market opportunity on the horizon. The bianconeri will certainly strengthen a midfield in January and that of the Swiss is a profile that over the weeks has climbed the hierarchy in the approval of managers and coaches. Roma-Juve duel, therefore, in sight for Zakaria? Yes, but beware of German pitfalls! Because Zakaria, of course, not only pleases the Italians but there is also the strong interest of Borussia Dortmund, ready to “trip” the cousins of Mönchengladbach, where on the bench that Marco Rose who knows Zakaria very well having trained him at Gladbach. .
Operation (less and less) low cost in January
If, having said, Roma has not reached the point of becoming in January the speeches relating to Denis Zakaria seem destined to intensify ‘hot’. And the opening of Borussia Mönchengladbach ds Max Eberl is significant: “If Zakaria or another player tells us they want to leave the club, we would be stupid not to address the issue. On the other hand, evaluating whether keeping him will bring us more advantages or less in the second half of the season. Before finishing the championship I’d like to see the Swiss sign the renewal “. A hope, that relating to the extension of Zakaria (expiring in June 2022), at the moment quite flexible despite the efforts of the German company. Because the player has access from a new experience and the charm of the clubs he is interested in is one that does not easily go unnoticed. But be careful: the strong competition – Rome, Juve, Dortmund – could raise the costs of the operation compared to the initial low-cost ideas (given the contractual situation of the Swiss). A minimum compensation will hardly be enough to convince Gladbach and, at the same time, an important project – economic and technical – will be needed to obtain the player’s yes. A matter of strategies and timing, in this case destined to make a difference. Roma and Juve are already at work.