Borussia Monchengladbach sports director Max Eberl has admitted that Denis Zakaria could leave the club this month amid rumours about a move to Manchester United.
Zakaria is out of contract in the summer and won’t be signing a new deal with the German club, leaving him free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement this month.
That would see him leave on a free in the summer, something Gladbach are keen to avoid, with it reported this week they will sell for as little as €6-7m just to ensure they get something from the player.
Manchester United have been named as suitors for several weeks, with a report this week stating they were willing to pay to bring in the midfielder, had made an offer, and that Ralf Rangnick was in talks with the player’s agents.
Eberl has now admitted the player can leave this month, although there is nothing urger on his desk right now.
“There’s nothing on my desk,” Kicker report him saying.
“It’s not surprising that there is speculation about both of them and especially Denis, but it’s no longer our topic.
“They both still have a half year of contract. But we have also said again and again that if something comes up that we have to deal with for financial reasons.
“I cannot rule out that both will leave the club in winter – or one.”
The interesting thing, though, is that Zakaria was absent from the squad to face Leverkusen on Saturday evening.
Now the club stated this was because of a ‘hip strain’, but the more cynical might suggest that it’s actually to do with the fact a transfer is on the cards.
There’d be no sense in Borussia using the midfielder and risking an injury if there’s a prospect of a deal, particularly when that would mean them missing out on millions in the process.
That’s just speculation, of course, but it would make a lot of sense, particularly with Eberl admitting a deal could happen this month.
