Aston Villa Linked With Move For 26-Year-Old Midfielder
Aston Villa are in the race to sign Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update regarding his future.
How old is Denis Zakaria?
The Switzerland international, who is currently 26 years of age, has been an impressive defensive midfielder for a number of years now, representing some of Europe's biggest clubs. He is currently at Juve, but he spent last season on loan at Chelsea, although he struggled to make an impact for a team experiencing a terrible campaign.
Zakaria still made seven Premier League appearances, though, completing 88.8% of his passes and averaging 1.3 tackles per game, so his numbers were still relatively impressive. He is now back at Juve after his temporary stint at Stamford Bridge came to an end, but it remains to be seen if his future belongs in Turin or not.
His current contract doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, so the Serie A giants are in no rush to sell him on the cheap, instead finding themselves in a relatively strong bargaining position, but they have endured financial difficulties in recent months.
It could be that a move to the Premier League is on the cards for Zakaria this summer then, this time permanently, with Villa seemingly one of the clubs battling to acquire his signature.
Are Aston Villa signing Denis Zakaria?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], the Villans have "taken information" regarding the Switzerland international, as they eye up a summer move for him. It is stated that multiple Bundesliga clubs in the same position, while West Ham are also pushing to get a deal over the line.
Talks between Juve and the Hammers have "been going on for weeks", so Villa certainly aren't going to have it all their own way if they want to sign Zakaria in the coming weeks.
It has already been such a productive summer transfer window at Villa Park, with the likes of Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres representing excellent signings, and Zakaria is another who could be a shrewd addition, albeit not quite as much of a marquee arrival.
He has some Premier League experience, which could stand him in good stead when it comes to adjusting to the pace of the division, and he is now a 49-time capped Switzerland international, having made two appearances for his country at the 2022 World Cup.
At 26, Zakaria is at a great age to come in and make an immediate impact, with his best years still possibly to come and lots of experience already picked up at big clubs. Former Chelsea and England man Joe Cole described him as "excellent' at one point last season during his spell with the Blues, and he could be a good squad option as Villa prepare battle across four different competitions in 2023/24, including the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Juve could well be happy to move him on and receive a decent fee for his services, considering they have already been willing to loan him out in the recent past, so it is a move that could ultimately suit all parties before the new campaign gets underway next month.