Chelsea are unlikely to pursue a permanent deal for on-loan Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria this summer after failing to secure a regular spot under Graham Potter, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It has so far been a relatively disappointing season for the 26-year-old loanee.
He did not make a single appearance for the Blues until after the World Cup, and even then his inclusion was largely thanks to the lack of midfield options at the club due to injury problems.
The Switzerland international had a good run in January, but then he sustained a quad injury which kept him out for over a month.
He has not been able to reclaim his spot on the team since then.
Zakaria is arguably a solid squad player, but according to Romano, Chelsea would prefer to be in the market for another midfielder this summer, instead.
“Denis Zakaria is not a regular starter so honestly I think there were never many chances of him staying on a permanent deal,” the Italian journalist told Caught Offside.
“For sure Chelsea will go for a new midfielder in the summer.
“I really appreciate Zakaria, I think he’s underrated but probably Chelsea want something different to play next to Enzo Fernandez.”
Based on Romano’s claim, Chelsea seem to be looking for a new starting midfielder, perhaps a potential new partner for Fernandez.
It is hard to argue that Zakaria does not really fits the profile, and in terms of midfield depth, keeping Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a versatile academy graduate, would make more sense.
Potter might have N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and perhaps even Andrey Santos at his disposal, too.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.