Report: Bayern Munich bosses saw too many weaknesses in Denis Zakaria

In the buildup to the winter transfer window and throughout most of the duration of that period, Denis Zakaria was heavily linked with a potential move to Bayern Munich. Much like defender Matthias Ginter, Zakaria had made it clear that he would 100% be leaving Borussia Monchengladbach either this winter or summer as he was not going to renew his contract with Die Fohlen. He’s since joined Juventus before the window transfer window closed after making a total of 125 appearances for Gladbach and it turns out that he was never really a realistic option that was seriously considered by Bayern.

Zakaria’s link to Bayern had a fair amount of moving parts. It became clear that Niklas Sule wouldn’t be extended his contract at Bayern and Corentin Tolisso’s future was uncertain before recent, strong performances had Bayern’s bosses reconsidering an extension offer. At the time, it was being reported that Zakaria was being pursued by Bayern to potentially be either a midfielder or a center back, knowing that Sule would not be a Bayern player next season. However, per new information from Bild’s Christian Falk, Bayern’s bosses ultimately had too many reservations about weaknesses they identified in Zakaria’s game that made them decide to not seriously pursue the Switzerland international.

Specifically, Bayern was impressed with his ability to win the ball and make interceptions in midfield, but they were not entirely convinced with his ball control and distribution. It was a concern of theirs' that his defensive qualities, in their valuation, outweighed his attacking capabilities. They wanted a midfielder that could offer positive play on both sides of the ball, which is not to say Zakaria doesn’t at all, it just wasn’t to the extent that Bayern wanted to wind up paying a transfer fee for him prior to this summer. They would’ve much preferred a free transfer during the summer window after his contract with Gladbach had officially expired.

Juventus paid roughly 9 million euros to sign Zakaria including bonuses and add-ons, which isn’t that steep of a fee. However, that was an investment Bayern was not willing to make for the 25-year old, especially considering the concerns they have about him coped with the fact that Tolisso is currently in a good patch of form for Bayern.