Who is Liverpool transfer target Denis Zakaria?

Liverpool have been linked with a transfer move for Denis Zakaria, but who is the player and where might he fit in at Anfield?

News percolating out of Germany has linked Liverpool with a deal for Switzerland international, who has taken the Bundesliga by storm this season.

Standing at 6ft 3in, Denis Zakaria is an absolute unit of a player but he’s so much more than just his size. He’s got a fantastic engine on him, once covering nearly 7km in a game against Cologne and backed it up with a passing success rate of 88%, a duel win rate of 80% while managing to get away three shots and accumulate 61 touches on the ball.

In short, this man does it all.

Being compared to Patrick Vieira and Paul Pogba takes some doing, but it appears as if the Borussia Mönchengladbach star combines the best elements of both their games. The Bundesliga official website reported that Zakaria wears the association with ease.

“When I watch videos of them I think I’d like to play that way,” he said.

But it doesn’t stop there, as Gladback goalkeeper Yann Sommer added: “He combines many qualities that were really defined by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.”

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So no pressure then.

His contract expires in 2022, which means that if his club want to cash in on this rising star, they better do it now. These level of performances have got plenty of sides interested – including Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Denis Zakaria would be perfect for Liverpool as he can play in a variety of positions, including as a central defender, defensive midfielder and as a box-to-box all-action midfielder.

His best bits are the best bits we really want to see from Naby Keita. The Swiss star can receive the ball in tight areas of the pitch and spark an immediate counter-attack, either with his explosive pace or the skill he has on the ball.

According to Smarter Scout, the player keeps the ball extremely well and is an excellent dribbler and link-up play artist. He also hardly ever gets bumped off the ball when he has it and at 23-years-old has plenty of room to grow.

No matter the fee, this is a transfer that could spell long-term success for Liverpool and fill a number of gaps in the squad if the move went ahead.

Zakaria can pass, tackle, has excellent physical attributes and can play a number of different positions. What’s not to love?