“I’ve been compared to (Patrick) Vieira and (Paul) Pogba – two more players I really respect and, in a way, see as role models.”
If you have not had the pleasure of seeing Denis Zakaria in action, those comparisons with a pair of powerhouse Frenchmen should give you a decent idea about what to expect from Borussia Monchengladbach’s midfield maestro.
Like Pogba and Vieira, the 6ft 2ins Swiss international is a combustible cocktail of supreme technical ability and fearsome physical prowess.
Zakaria’s ability to turn defence into attack in an instant has made him the beating, bludgeoning heart at the centre of a Gladbach side famed for their breakneck counter-attacking.
But, if you ask fellow Switzerland and Gladbach star Yan Sommer, there is more to Zakaria’s game than lung-busting bursts of acceleration.
According to one of the Bundesliga’s finest goalkeepers, the 24-year-old also has a lot in common with another pair of Frenchmen; a World Cup-winning duo famed throughout the world for their breathtaking footwork.
“It’s not easy to compare him to the greats of the past, but he combines many qualities that have were really defined by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane,” Sommer told the Bundesliga’s website.
High praise indeed.
And, with BILD reporting that Liverpool and Manchester City are both keen to take Zakaria to the Premier League – a division which appears to suit the all-action midfielder down to the ground – it seems his time at the Bay Arena is quickly coming to a close.
The report adds that Zakaria has rejected the chance to sign a new contract with the Bundesliga outfit. His current deal expires in 2022, meaning a summer sale feels inevitable.
Fortunately, Gladbach are one of the most meticulous and well-run clubs on the continent. In Kouadio Kone, the recent £8 million signing from Toulouse, The Foals may have already found Zakaria’s long-term successor.
Although, as Kone may be about to find out, replacing a man likened to not only Pogba and Vieira but also Platini and Zidane will be no easy task.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
