Man City dealt blow in pursuit of ‘perfect Fernandinho replacement’ who is more like a ‘Yaya Toure type of player’

Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Denis Zakaria, as Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have entered the race for his signature.

The 24-year-old has impressed in his three seasons in the Bundesliga with Gladbach which have caught the eye of several of the top six and is also a regular for the Switzerland national side.

He has long been reportedly touted as a target for Premier League champions Liverpool, while Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have more recently been linked.

The 24-year-old midfielder, whose contract runs until 2022, has just returned to action after fighting back from a long-term knee injury.

According to Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano via his Here We Go podcast, City have already been in contact with Zakaria’s agent.

He said: “Manchester City are focusing on Zakaria, he is so appreciated by the board, they are following him, they are in contact with his agent.

“So he’s for sure on the list of Manchester City, there is nothing advanced yet because they are not negotiating yet with Borussia Monchengladbach, they need time.”

The Sun claims the Citizens could miss out on Zakaria as Manchester United and Chelsea were looking at making a move for the attacker, with Bayern Munich are also keen to snap him up.

Guardiola is looking to find a permanent replacement for the ageing Fernandinho. The Mirror reported yesterday that the Brazilian is set to leave Etihad at the end of the season, after telling friends that he does not expect to be handed another renewal.

The 24-year-old Denis Zakaria could be the perfect fit at Manchester City to replace the Brazilian. The Swiss international is known for his speed, physicality and ability to win the ball back in midfield.

Standing 6ft 2in, Zakaria is an imposing figure in the centre of midfield and has been compared to Pogba as well as Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in the past. some City fans had even described him as a ‘manchine’ and more like a ‘Yaya Toure type of player’.

He is one of the most promising midfielders in the Bundesliga at the moment and has already proven his worth as an all-round contributor under the stewardship of Marco Rose. He will add a lot of bite and steel to Pep Guardiola’s midfield and could even increase competition for places within the Spaniard’s squad.

At 24, Zakaria is only going to get better with each season, so it makes sense for Man City to orchestrate a move to bring him to the Etihad Stadium at the end of this campaign. He has got a bit of everything in his locker and could serve as an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho in the coming seasons. Furthermore, the Swiss midfielder can also play as a centre-back if needed, which would make him a great fit for Guardiola’s side next summer

It will be interesting to see whether City do actively pursue Zakaria in the upcoming transfer window and whether he could be the true heir to Fernandinho’s throne.