Chelsea were successful in their efforts in signing a midfielder on the deadline day as they took Denis Zakaria on a loan deal from Juventus.
Prior to signing Zakaria, the Blues raided the Eredivisie, first for Ajax’s Edson Álvarez and then for PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangaré.
The failure in signing Álvarez saw Chelsea knock on PSV’s door for Sangaré, but that deal also didn’t take shape and his club were also able to retain another star in Cody Gakpo.
De Telegraaf on Friday states Gakpo’s representatives offered him to Ajax after they sold Antony to Manchester United.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side needed Champions League football or an important sale to help them with their finances, but the cane to play in Europe’s elite club competition was ruled out after Rangers knocked them out in the qualifiers last month.
This convinced the Dutch side’s board that a top sale could help them keep their financial health in good condition, which is when Chelsea entered the picture and reported their interest to PSV for Sangaré.
However, De Telegraaf say the midfielder’s ‘sporting importance was deemed too great’ compared to the club’s financial needs.
Therefore, PSV decided against entertaining the approach made by Thomas Tuchel’s side in signing the player, which ultimately led the Blues to turn their attention to Zakaria.
