Borussia Monchengladbach have set their asking price for impending free agent Denis Zakaria should Juventus seek a move before the deadline.
The Bianconeri are yet to conduct any business this month and Massimiliano Allegri is confident that his squad will remain the same come February 1. However, the club could yet shuffle their pack in midfield in the final week of the window.
Arsenal remain strongly interested in Arthur Melo, while Aston Villa have identified Rodrigo Bentancur as a possible option to provide depth in midfield. But, Juve have made it clear that for either of these players to depart, a replacement must be brought in beforehand.
Juve hold an interest in Lyon’s €45m-rated Bruno Guimarães and Gladbach’s Zakaria, who will be a free agent in the summer and has several leading European clubs on his tail. Thus, the Bianconeri have queried over a January purchase to get ahead of the competition.
Gladbach want €7m for Denis Zakaria this month
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Gladbach have asked for €7m to sell Zakaria before the January deadline.
Romano adds that German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are both pursuing a move, but both of their proposals will likely arrive in the summer. Manchester United and Liverpool are also keen on the Swiss international, but neither club are yet to make an offer.
Thus, Juventus have a chance to snag Zakaria in a cut-price deal at the end of January but it remains to be seen whether the club have been deterred by Gladbach’s asking price – even if it is small. Considering their financial situation, Juve will be reluctant to pay any fee for a midfielder they have a chance to sign on a free transfer in six months.
However, should they take that option, they’ll face stiff competition from the two leading German clubs.
At the moment, there’s no haste on the Bianconeri’s behalf to wrap up a deal for Zakaria.