Andy Dunn evaluates Chelsea's current campaign.
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Denis Zakaria was a target for Chelsea for two years before they gave up on him on the day of the transfer deadline. With N'golo Kante becoming more injury prone and drawing interest from some of the top teams in Europe frequently, the signing puts the Blues in a position where they must decide what to do with the Frenchman moving forward.
In spite of spending $220 million in the Covid-hit summer 2020 transfer window, Chelsea elected not to pursue a deal for Zakaria, the midfielder for Borussia Monchengladbach at the time.
The Swiss international can serve as Kante's long-term replacement at Stamford Bridge, which puts Thomas Tuchel under pressure to make a decision about his future. Kante is a two-time Premier League champion. The 31-year-old former Leicester star has a history of injuries and is now sidelined for more than four weeks due to a hamstring issue.
During the summer, he was said to be on the move to some of the top clubs in Europe, with PSG the most recent club to be claimed to be keeping an eye on him.If Zakaria performs well, Chelsea has the option of making his loan deal permanent; should they choose to do so, Kante will be free to leave in later transfer windows.
Blues fans would be devastated to lose him. He has established himself as a Chelsea fan favorite, with supporters praising his incredible work ethic and kind demeanor. He has played 262 times for the team and was named player of the year in 2017, the year they last won the Premier League championship.
He is especially admired by the larger football community because of his upbeat demeanor, which makes people grin. Zakaria has spoken for the first time since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
He greeted all of the Chelsea supporters by saying, "Hello." I'm thrilled and pleased to call myself a Blue, and I can't wait to meet you at Stamford Bridge soon.
The owner of the Blues, Todd Boehly, also commented on the deal and praised the strength the Swiss star can bring to the team.
The American added, "Denis is a great midfielder with tons of quality and skill." We are excited to see him play in Chelsea blue, and he will provide our squad depth and variety this season.
Zakaria might make his Stamford Bridge debut today against West Ham in a London derby as he tries to turn around the team's dismal start to the year.
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