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Chelsea are reportedly set to face competition from Marseille to permanently sign Juventus star Denis Zakaria.
Zakaria, 26, joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Juventus on a season-long loan deal last summer. The Bianconeri inserted a future purchase option for around £30 million in the temporary deal with Frank Lampard's side.
A right-footed box-to-box operator blessed with tackling and work rate, the 47-cap Switzerland international has failed to cement a first-team spot at the Blues of late. He has scored one goal in 599 minutes of action so far, spread across 11 matches across all competitions in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign.
As per Foot Mercato, Marseille have identified Zakaria as a transfer target as they are keen to sell Matteo Guendouzi in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Ligue 1 outfit is hoping to utilize president Pablo Longoria's former contacts at Juventus to finalize a permanent move for the former BSC Young Boys man.
However, a potential deal is dependent on Chelsea's decision to exercise their buy option for Zakaria. With a summer clearout on the cards, the Blues are expected to end their association with the star before the new season.
With the west London outfit signing Enzo Fernandez this January, Zakaria's potential chances in the first team took a significant hit. Furthermore, with N'Golo Kante set to be handed a new contract, the Swiss is likely to be sent back to Turin.
Zakaria, whose Bianconeri contract is set to expire in June 2026, joined Juventus from Borussia Monchengladbach for £9 million in the winter of 2022. So far, he has registered a goal and an assist in 15 matches for them.
Joao Felix and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among 8 Chelsea stars who could leave this summer: Reports
As per Fichajes, Chelsea are aiming to let go of eight first-team players, including Joao Felix and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, this summer. They are keen to both raise transfer funds and make room for potential incomings.
Felix, 23, arrived from Atletico Madrid on a six-month loan deal, hoping to breathe new life into the Blues' lackluster campaign. However, he has scored just two goals in 15 matches across all competitions for Frank Lampard's side.
Aubameyang, on the other hand, sealed a summer move to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona for around £10 million last summer. Much like Felix, he has also failed to shine at his new club, scoring just thrice in 19 matches so far.
Apart from the two aforementioned players, Chelsea are also interested in cashing in on Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. They could also sell Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher this summer.
Chelsea dished out over £550 million to add 18 players to their star-studded ranks this campaign.
