The West Ham owners need to up their original offer for Denis Zakaria by a further £4 million if they want to sign him.
According to a report from Tutto Juve, Juventus are holding out for €20 million (£17 million) whilst West Ham have only offered €15 million (£13 million) so far.
The East London outfit have been linked with a move to sign the 26-year-old ex-Chelsea midfielder for a few weeks now.
Hammers boss David Moyes desperately needs to strengthen his central midfield ranks at the London Stadium with Declan Rice set to leave.
West Ham make official bid for Denis Zakaria but need £4m more to sign him
Tutto Juve reckon that that Hammers have made a £13 million offer for the Switzerland International, but need to up that to £17 million in order to get Juventus to sell.
I genuinely think the 26-year-old could be a smart addition for West Ham, especially for just £17 million.
Zakaria is a defensive midfielder by trade but crucially as far as West Ham are concerned, he can play in the centre-back position as as well.
The Swiss international is incredibly dynamic and energetic. He is a tenacious tackler and has the kind of physicality needed to succeed in the Premier League.
If he was given a regular run of games by David Moyes at the London Stadium, I’m certain that he would prove his true worth.
Former BSC Young Boys coach Uli Forte labelled him as an incredible player with exceptional technical ability (Mondo Napoli).
Now, Denis Zakaria is in no way good enough to replace Declan Rice at West Ham on his own.
However, if Moyes brought him to the London Stadium alongside an elite central midfielder, then I believe he’d be a good signing for the club.
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With a Europa League campaign ahead of them this season, West Ham are going to need all of the help that they can get in 2023/24.
Strength in depth will absolutely be a pre-requisite if the Hammers want to go deep into the cup competitions and remain competitive in the Premier League.
The east Londoner’s form last season in the English top-flight was about as far removed from their Europa Conference League form as it was possible to be.
It was as if Moyes was playing two different XIs in each competition, and for whatever reason, until later in the Premier League campaign the players just couldn’t find the rhythm that had taken them all the way to Prague and an eventual final victory over Serie A side, Fiorentina.
There’s clearly a need for at least two players per position for Moyes, so the news that they could be willing to let Thilo Kehrer leave the club just a year after joining from Paris Saint-Germain is an odd one.
The 26-year-old has become a fan favourite, but according to The Guardian, after an inconsistent first year in East London – just two assists in 29 games per WhoScored -, he might be on his way to seek his fortune elsewhere.
With Ben Johnson also being rumoured as a potential sale, that leaves Moyes very light in the full-back areas, so one has to assume that he has a plan up his sleeve that will put every Hammer’s mind at rest.
