Why Denis Zakaria would be a fantastic signing for Manchester United

According to a report from the Metro, Manchester United have joined Tottenham in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

The Switzerland international, 22, has impressed for Borussia Monchengladbach since joining from Young Boys in 2017.

He has made ten appearances for Gladbach so far this season and is in high demand after a series of impressive performances for club and country and could cost £42.7 million.

However, Manchester United and Tottenham aren’t the only clubs interested in the midfielder.

The report adds Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also keeping tabs on Denis Zakaria, although Gladbach may prefer to sell their prized asset to England rather than strengthen their Bundesliga rivals.

That being said, Manchester United must do everything to their powers to sign Denis Zakaria in the January transfer window.

Manchester United fans have been left uninspired by their team’s performances so far this season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has overseen the worst start to a campaign for 30 years and the Red Devils are just two points above the relegation zone after their opening eight games.

Solskjaer has confirmed that funds are available to strengthen in January after such a miserable start to the new season.

Other than the goalkeeping area, United need reinforcements in every area of the pitch. There are a lot of concerns over the midfield department, with Fred and Andreas Pereira having failed to impress and Nemanja Matic past his prime.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at Old Trafford still up in the air, Solskjaer needs to prioritise reinforcing the midfield in the upcoming transfer window. And Zakaria could be a fantastic long-term investment for the Red Devils.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Zakaria excels in winning back position for his team with his tackling and interception skills. He doesn’t think twice before flying out for challenges, which at times has seen him pick up unnecessary bookings.

However, the enforcer is very young and will be able to iron out the flaws from his game with age and maturity.

To go with his physicality and aerial prowess, the Swiss is also a good reader of the game and can carry as well as protect the ball well.

Zakaria is adept at the breaking the opposition attacks and would be a perfect option to complement Scott McTominay, who is not as mobile and struggles to cope with pacy counter-attacks.

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At 22, the midfielder surely has his best years ahead of him and he would be the perfect long-term replacement for the ageing Matic.

Verdict

That said, United should not hesitate to sign Zakaria from Gladbach in January. They need quality and squad depth to challenge for a top-four spot this season and the Switzerland international would be a fine addition to their squad.