Just minutes before the closing of the summer transfer market, Denis Zakaria sealed a loan switch from Juventus to Chelsea.

But following Thomas Tuchel’s departure, the Swiss didn’t find enough space under the guidance of new manager Graham Potter, while some injury problems derailed his campaign.

Therefore, the Blues are unlikely to exercise their buy option to keep the 26-year-old in West London beyond the current campaign.

But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via Calciomercato, Chelsea could well ask for a discount to sign Zakaria on a permanent basis.

The current terms state that the Premier League giants must splash 28 million euros (plus four as bonuses) to complete the transfer.

For his part, the midfielder has only featured in 10 matches for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring a single goal in the process.

Juve FC say

This could prove to be a dilemma for Juventus. On one hand, Zakaria remains a strong midfielder who’s yet to get his full chance in Turin. He could be particularly useful if Adrien Rabiot leaves next summer.

But on the other hand, the Bianconeri are building a young midfield department while focusing primarily on their youth products.

Ultimately, it will depend on the figures. While the current asking price is slightly hefty considering the player’s mediocre contributions this season, we shouldn’t allow Chelsea to drive the price down by a large margin, as we’re talking about a club that has been happy to overspend on other players in the last months.