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Former Chelsea midfielder Denis Zakaria has emerged as a potential option to replace Declan Rice at West Ham United, according to The Daily Mail.
Rice, 24, is poised to leave West Ham this summer after he rejected offers to become the club's highest-paid player of all time. The Irons' chairman David Sullivan admitted after the club's 2-1 UEFA Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina earlier this month that the midfielder is likely to leave.
Arsenal have had two bids rejected by West Ham for Rice, with their latest offer worth up to £90 million. David Moyes' side has refused to budge from their £100 million valuation of the England international and hopes that there will be a bidding war, as Manchester City prepare a proposal for him.
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West Ham, meanwhile, are hard at work on finding a suitable replacement for their captain as the race for him heats up. According to the aforementioned source, they have added Juventus star Zakaria, 26, to their list of options.
Zakaria spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Chelsea, who spent £2.6 million to snap him up from Juventus. He made only 11 appearances across competitions for the club, amassing 599 minutes of action. The Blues have decided against taking up the option to make his move permanent for £24 million.
The Switzerland international is due to return to Juventus when his loan contract ends on June 30. However, he does not appear to have a place in the Serie A club's plans for the future. A permanent departure thus appears to be on the cards for the midfielder.
West Ham is prepared to provide Zakaria with an escape route out of Turin, as per the report. However, it's worth noting that the Swiss man is only one of several midfielders under consideration at the London Stadium as the Irons look for a replacement for Rice. They have also been linked with Fulham's Joao Palhinha and Ajax's Edson Alvarez.
Chelsea set to sign Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea is busy selling players as they look to balance their books after spending £600 million across the last two windows. However, the wheels are also in motion to bolster Mauricio Pochettino's side ahead of next season. The Blues are set to make Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson their second signing of the summer after Christopher Nkunku.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with Jackson, 22. The Senegal international has a £29.8 million release clause in his contract, which runs until 2026. The Stamford Bridge outfit intends to negotiate a deal with Villarreal and get the transfer across the line soon.
Jackson began playing for ASC Tilene before joining Casa Sports in Senegal. In 2019, the striker earned a move to Europe, joining Villarreal's youth setup. He rose through the ranks with the Yellow Submarine and spent the 2020-21 season on loan at second-division club CD Mirandes.
The forward made his La Liga debut for Villarreal in their 2-0 home win against Real Betis in 2021. He has now made 47 appearances across competitions for the club, bagging 13 goals and six assists in the process. While Jackson is primarily a centre-forward, he can also operate on either flank and could replace Arsenal-bound Kai Havertz at Chelsea.
