Chelsea to make brutal Zakaria decision
FT Desk
- 13 Oct 2022 09:48 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea are ready to offload Denis Zakaria just six weeks after signing the Switzerland international midfielder on loan from Juventus.
Zakaria is set to become the first big player casualty of Thomas Tuchel's recent sacking and replacement by Graham Potter as Chelsea manager.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder - whom Tuchel was aware of from their time in the Bundesliga - was signed at the end of the transfer window with worries about N'Golo Kante's worsening injury record.
Juventus coach Max Allegri says that Denis Zakaria "lacks quality" 😯
Zakaria is on his way to join Chelsea 👀https://t.co/sJBn0rK9oN— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) September 1, 2022
But Tuchel was gone just a week later, and although many headlines were generated about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 59-minute reunion with Tuchel having joined from Barcelona, Zakaria is in the biggest trouble.
"I believe in myself 100 per cent," he told Standard Sport recently. "I'm waiting for my moment, and I want to prove I can play in this team. I want to help this team to win and win trophies."
Unused substitute
But his time might now never come. Potter has not even named Zakaria to a matchday squad in the Premier League since he took charge, and although he has made trips to Milan and Zagreb in the Champions League this season, Zakaria is yet to get off the bench in that competition.
Chelsea beat AC Milan 2-0 at the San Siro on Tuesday, with Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic starting together in central midfield. When Potter tweaked the system at half-time, Connor Gallagher got on ahead of Zakaria.
The reason he isn't playing is that the Blues want to increase the chance of him going back to Juve this season, terminating his loan deal.
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FIFA regulations state that a player can only turn out for two teams in the same season. Juve might be more willing to take Zakaria back if they can then loan him out to someone else.
Chelsea also have an eye on Max Allegri's situation. Juve sit third in their Champions League group and only eighth in Serie A, and if the coach is replaced mid-season, his successor might fancy Zakaria.
