Why Zakaria is set for Chelsea stay after Champions League debut

James Shearman

Updated: 3 Nov 2022 18:27 GMT
3 min read

Denis Zakaria now looks likely to stay at Chelsea until the end of the 2022-23 season, having previously been linked with a return to Juventus.

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Zakaria was signed on Deadline Day of the transfer window, with then-manager Thomas Tuchel keen to bolster his midfield.

The Juventus-owned man agreed a season-long loan deal with an option to make the move permanent for €33 million next summer.

But Tuchel was sacked before Zakaria was given a chance, and the Switzerland international had also failed to make his debut under new manager Graham Potter until yesterday.

However, in Chelsea's final match of the Champions League group stage, against Dinamo Zagreb, Zakaria played 71 minutes of the 2-1 win.

Alongside Jorginho and Mason Mount, the 25-year-old offered physicality that only he and Ruben Loftus-Cheek can offer in the Blues squad, but more importantly he scored the winning goal.

So with Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante continuing to struggle with injury woes, Zakaria's impressive debut could be the start of a run of games in the starting eleven.

How Zakaria came close to January Chelsea exit

Tuchel was sacked days after Zakaria's arrival, to be replaced by Graham Potter in the Stamford Bridge dugout, and the former Brighton tactician had regularly opted against handing the midfielder his debut.

Jorginho, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Mount and Conor Gallagher had been preferred in the centre of midfield, calling into question whether Zakaria had been poor in training.

This also fuelled speculation that the Blues wanted to cut the Switzerland international's loan deal short, but Potter was keen to stress that the 25-year-old remained part of his plans when pressed on the issue.

"There has been no decision made at all on that," the Chelsea boss said. "Denis has been in the group and he's been training well. He's ready to help the team but obviously there's competition for places in that area.

Zakaria: “Chelsea fans are amazing. I’m very excited, I’m very happy and it’s important for me to play a good game”. 🔵 #CFC

“I left Juventus to play and I waited for my chance… the manager said play like you did in training. I did my best”. pic.twitter.com/qpyRrNEDyI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 3, 2022

"There's no talks [about leaving]. He's an important member of the team. He's being patient and trying to help the team from the side at the moment. He's waiting for a chance."

In not playing Zakaria - in the Premier League or Champions League - he would still have been eligible to turn out for another club this season per FIFA regulations.

But having lined up twice for Juventus at the start of the campaign, and now Chelsea, it means that he can’t seek another loan move in January - thus remaining in west London until next summer.