Manchester United have not been as active as expected during this transfer window so far, although they have been linked with a number of players over the last few months as Ralf Rangnick’s side have struggled to chase down a top four spot so far this season.
was reported by SPORT1 this week that United had made contact with the midfielder and commenced talks, but there doesn’t appear to be any official moves made by the club as of yet.
Fans will be buzzing
Signing a defensive midfielder has been a priority at Old Trafford for a long time, and numerous fans have continuously identified this issue in poor performances over the last 18 months.
Nothing has materialised in the way of filling the position with a high-quality upgrade, but if the club can bring Zakaria to Manchester, it would likely leave many Red Devils supporters buzzing.
The 25-year-old is composed on the ball, his 90.1% passing success rate this season bettered only by Jesse Lingard at United. He is also adept at breaking up play, making 1.2 interceptions per game – a higher average than any of Rangnick’s current midfielders.
He is not afraid to break forward, either, averaging 1.2 shots per match this term. Remarkably, that is a slightly better return than United forward Marcus Rashford .
The Red Devils remain in a decent position to change the direction of their campaign, still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup, as well as being in contention to finish inside the top four with almost half of the Premier League season still to go and only six points off West Ham, who currently occupy fourth spot.