Serie A giants Juventus are ready to offer Denis Zakaria to Chelsea this summer but only if Mateo Kovacic is included in the deal, according to recent reports.
Zakaria is currently on loan at Stamford Bridge, enjoying some solid performances in recent times following a slow start in west London. Calcio Mercato Web have now claimed that Juventus are willing to part ways with the Swiss international on a permanent basis this summer but they would like Kovacic in return.
That deal seems an unlikely one considering Kovacic is one of the first names on Graham Potter's teamsheet when fully fit, with his rare combination of progressive passing and press-resistant dribbling a huge asset to the former Brighton boss. Potter has also made it no secret of his admiration for Zakaria, previously lauding the 26-year-old's professionalism and work ethic.
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“Whenever Denis has played, he’s not let us down,” Potter said in December. “He played in the Champions League against Zagreb and scored, so he’s shown his quality.
“He has remained professional, worked really hard and it’s why he got his reward [against Bournemouth] with a decent performance and a contribution to a win.”
He then added: “I’ve said before, he has had to be patient because we have some good options in the midfield.
“It has to be remembered we didn’t lose for the first few games so it was hard for him to get that opportunity.”
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