Liverpool wanted Denis Zakaria before his move to Chelsea, and he has now been likened to a Premier League legend in Patrick Vieira.
The Reds rarely do business on deadline day but were pretty much forced into action after Jordan Henderson’s injury against Newcastle United.
Liverpool did strike a deadline day deal, signing Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on loan until next summer.
There is a permanent option as part of the deal, but Arthur may not have been the Juventus midfielder Liverpool were really hoping to sign…
Liverpool wanted Denis Zakaria
Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio – the man who broke the news of Arthur heading to Liverpool in the first place – claims that the Reds actually asked about Denis Zakaria first.
Despite signing for Juventus from Borussia Monchengladbach in January, Zakaria was already considered expendable by Massimiliano Allegri.
Liverpool enquired about a deal but ended up signing Arthur – and Zakaria then headed to Chelsea in the final stages of deadline day.
Zakaria could now make his debut for Chelsea this evening as they take on Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
The Swiss international has been highly-rated for some time now and will be hoping to make a big impact in England.
Only time will tell whether Arthur can make a bigger impact than Zakaria, but the new Chelsea man is certainly earning huge praise.
Hibernian assistant Adam Owen – who was at Servette when Zakaria broke through there – has now waxed lyrical about the man Liverpool missed out on.
Owen has told Sky Sports that he thinks Zakaria is an ‘absolute machine’ and showed that even in his formative days at Servette.
Owen noted that Zakaria isn’t just a powerful defensive force, but that he can also drive forward with the ball and impact the game going forward.
Patrick Vieira is the player Owen compared Zakaria to, which is a huge compliment given everything Vieira achieved in his playing days.
“Physically, he was an absolute machine even then,” said Owen. “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,” he added.
That kind of talent sounds like somebody Liverpool would love, but they will now have to go up against Zakaria whilst hoping that Arthur can make a big impact at Anfield.
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