‘I hope it’s positive!’: Chelsea’s midfield ‘octopus’ Denis Zakaria explains how his team-mates gave him bizarre nickname… as the Swiss deadline day signing is itching to ‘prove I can play in this team’
- Denis Zakaria joined Chelsea initially on loan with an optional fee of £30million
- The Swiss star spent only half a season at Italian giants Juventus before leaving
- He has been dubbed ‘the octopus’ due to his ability to win possession back
Denis Zakaria is still yet to make his debut for Chelsea, but insists he is eager to prove that he has what it takes to cut it at the highest level for the Blues.
The Switzerland international midfielder’s move to Stamford Bridge only came off in the final minutes of the transfer window – with the deal not completed fully until an hour after the deadline.
Zakaria joined Chelsea from Juventus on an initial loan deal, with an optional future fee of £30million, should he impress Graham Potter enough to make his move permanent.
Denis Zakaria’s move to Chelsea almost did not materialise in the final hours of the window
Zakaria began his career in his home country, before a move to Borussia Monchengladbach saw him excel in one of Europe’s top leagues for five seasons before a move to Juventus materialised in January 2022.
The 25-year-old is out to prove he has what it takes to perform at a high level for Chelsea
And though the rangy midfielder’s stay at the Old Lady lasted only half a season, he still made 13 appearances for the Italian giants, scoring and assisting once.
But it is as a midfield enforcer that he has made his name, and being blessed with long limbs, the Swiss defensive midfielder has been given a strange nickname due to his uncanny ability to win back the ball.
‘It’s because I have very long legs!’ he told the Evening Standard. ‘I win a lot of balls in midfield, so that is why they said octopus. It was funny and it was positive, I hope!’
Having joined the Blues on an initial loan, though, he will be desperate to avoid the same fate as last season’s flop signing Saul Niguez, who completed 90 minutes only seven times from 23 attempts.
‘I believe in myself 100 per cent,’ he added. ‘I am waiting for my moment and I want to prove I can play in this team. I want to…