West Ham United's pursuit of Denis Zakaria "makes sense" and a deal for the player could be finalised at a "decent price", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.
West Ham United transfer news – What's the latest on Denis Zakaria?
It has been a whirlwind summer for the Hammers so far, with the team winning the Conference League and ending their 43-year trophy drought to being the sellers in the first big transfer saga of the summer.
That transfer saga, of course, involved their captain Declan Rice, who they have reportedly accepted a £105m offer from Arsenal to let go.
With the England international gone and £105m burning a hole in their pocket, the Hammers have started to turn their attention to potential replacements for their departing star.
However, whether it's the market in general or the fact that teams are fully aware of the Irons' recent windfall, the targets the club have been pursuing keep getting more expensive.
For example, it has been heavily reported that the East London side were seriously interested in the services of Fulham's Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha. However, they have since had to cool that interest after it was revealed that the Cottagers demanded £90m for their player.
That said, there could be one target that David Moyes could get through the door without spending most of the Rice money, Zakaria.
According to reports from Italy, the Hammers have offered Juventus £13m for their midfielder, and whilst that offer was rejected, they have reportedly asked for just £17m to get the deal done.
What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Denis Zakaria to West Ham United?
Jones was straight to the point in explaining that West Ham moving in for the player was the most likely scenario compared to Palhinha.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Zakaria probably makes a bit more sense for them. To be honest, he seems like a player that can be brought at a decent price."
Would Zakaria be a good signing for West Ham United?
Zakaria has, at points, proven he has the ability and skills necessary to make it at a side in the top half of a major European league, and to judge him based on his limited appearances for Chelsea last season would be unfair.
According to WhoScored, the Swiss international has averaged a season rating of at least 6.52 in every season in which he has started at least 15 matches, peaking at an average rating of 7.15 during the 2019/20 season for Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach.
His underlying numbers are also very impressive with FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, placing him in the top 5% for pass completion, the top 11% for clearances, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 22% for non-penalty goals, all per 90.
Granted, his limited minutes over the last 12 months will have influenced those numbers, but it shows that there is something worth taking a risk on for a team outside the traditional top six.
He has picked up rave reviews from those who have worked with him as well, with Adam Owen, the current assistant manager at Hibernian, particularly taken aback by the player when he was at Swiss side Servette FC at the same time, telling Sky Sports:
"Physically, he was an absolute machine even then. Good with the ball. It does not surprise me that he has gone on to do so well. He can drive with the ball, decent in defence, solid. As a teenager, he had all those characteristics. He probably reminds you of Patrick Vieira."
With a review like that, maybe spending £17m on Zakaria shouldn't be considered a gamble at all, and if West Ham can get it done, it could make the transition away from Rice a lot easier.
