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How would Denis Zakaria fit in at Manchester United?

Denis Zakaria is the latest midfielder to be linked with a move to Old Trafford (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The January transfer window is now open and as per usual, the Manchester United rumour mill is in full flow. United have been strongly linked to Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder, Denis Zakaria as the club looks to strengthen the midfield. The midfielder’s contract at Gladbach expires in the summer however, it is possible that United make a move for him this month at a favourably reduced fee.

Date of Birth: 20/11/1996 (25)

Position(s): Defensive Midfielder, Centre-back

Strong Foot: Right

Height: 1,91 m (6ft 3in)

Who is he?

Denis Zakaria is a 25-year-old Swiss midfielder currently plying his trade in the Bundesliga. He started his career at the Swiss club, Servette FC, and made the switch to BSC Young Boys in July 2015. Zakaria went on to make his debut for the Swiss national team in May 2016 and has since made 40 appearances for Switzerland whilst also scoring 3 goals.

The 25-year old left Young Boys for Gladbach in July 2017 and has been at the club since. With his contract set to expire this summer, he’s been linked to many of Europe’s top clubs including Manchester United. He could potentially leave Gladbach this month with reports claiming that Gladbach could accept an offer in the region of £6m for the Swiss midfielder.

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Mönchengladbach’s director of football, Max Eberl, has said that there have currently been no concrete offers for the Swiss midfielder but if one was to arrive, they can’t rule out the possibility of him leaving this month.

Strengths

Zakaria has a number of strengths in his game. One of his best attributes is his passing ability which has seen him, in this season alone, maintain a 90% passing accuracy. He’s composed with the ball at his feet and is also a decent ball progressor. In the last year, he’s averaged 4.05 progressive carries per 90 as well as 3.84 progressive passes per 90. Zakaria’s ball-winning ability is also an outstanding attribute. Over the last year, he’s averaged 2.18 interceptions per 90, 2.15 blocks per 90 and 1.69 clearances per 90. The Swiss midfielder is also very good positionally and is boasts some pace which is a big plus. In combination to his technical ability, standing at 6”3 his aerial ability is something of an advantage in both boxes

Weaknesses

Whilst Zakaria doesn’t have any major weaknesses to his game, the one concern with him would be his injury record. He suffered a serious knee injury back in March 2020 which sidelined him for 8 months. The midfielder hasn’t had any major injuries since but the severity of the injury is something to take into consideration.

Where he would fit in at United?

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If United do sign Zakaria this month, he’d solve the defensive issue that Manchester United have had for a while. If Ralf Rangnick continues with his favoured 4-2-2-2, Zakaria could easily slot into that midfield two in front of the defence alongside Fred, Scott McTominay or potentially even Paul Pogba however it’s unclear how Rangnick will use him when he returns from injury. With that being said, we did see United play the 4-2-3-1 against Aston Villa in the FA Cup. While it wasn’t overly successful, it did exemplify Rangnicks tactical flexibility. If Rangnick decides to use the 4-2-3-1 more in the future, Zakaria would slot into the double pivot. Zakaria has also been seen to slot into centre-back, so as United seem to step into a defensive crisis so usually, he could slot in at the back.

Verdict

Denis Zakaria would be a very good addition to Rangnick’s squad. He’d solve a big problem and is also the economically astute option. It’s still uncertain as to whether United will make any signings this month however, Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic has said that Rangnick wants a midfielder and there are a couple of players under consideration.

United have also been linked to Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara and RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara who Rangnick has previously worked with. With the way United have performed recently and a place in the top 4 at risk, adding a specialist defensive midfielder to the squad would be a big boost. We’ll have to wait and see what United decide to do.

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