Towards the end of the summer transfer window, Denis Zakaria saw his world change very quickly.
The Juventus midfielder, who had arrived at the Serie A side from Borussia Mönchengladbach for just under £8m in January, was suddenly a target for both Chelsea and Liverpool in the dying moments of the transfer window.
The Blues were desperate to bolster their midfield as Todd Boehly frantically scoured the market for the right player, while Jürgen Klopp’s side were caught off guard by an injury to their captain, Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool realised they needed more depth in the role, and seemingly decided to target Zakaria, only to end up getting another Juventus midfielder instead in Arthur Melo.
As for Chelsea, they are the ones who welcomed the Switzerland international on loan, and have the option to make the move permanent for a further €28m if they so wish.
The Chelsea signing said: “It all happened very quickly. I didn’t know a move to Chelsea was possible until six hours before the end of the transfer window. I packed my things and waited for the contract to be signed. I then did the medical check in Turin and it went through. It was very close.”
As for the interest from Liverpool: “I heard that from my agent, but in the end it was Chelsea, and I think I’ll be happier in England than in Turin.”
He also added that one of the reasons why he decided to head to Stamford Bridge was Thomas Tuchel, and while they did get to work together, it was only for a few days, as the German manager was sacked after the 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
