Chelsea snubbed £25m buy option and barely played star who has now become a major force

Chelsea’s recruitment department will be wincing at Denis Zakaria’s recent form after previously taking him on loan but choosing not to trigger his permanent buy option.

The marauding Swiss has come flying out of the blocks with AS Monaco this campaign, showing finesse with his passing and composure on the ball to go along with his tough tackling at the base of midfield.

Chelsea fans didn’t see much of those attributes during his 2022/23 season-long loan as he played just seven matches in the Premier League and 11 overall, spending long spells frozen out under interim manager Frank Lampard.

The Blues could reportedly have snapped up the 27-year-old by triggering a £25million buy option but Mauricio Pochettino opted to send Zakaria back to Juventus – his parent club at the time – at the end of the season.

Chelsea took their pursuit of midfield improvement in a different direction while Monaco took a punt on Zakaria, and it has paid off in spades. The Geneva-born star has scored twice and assisted another in only four league matches so far, with Les Rouge et Blanc unbeaten in Ligue 1.

Known for his physicality, 6ft 3in Zakaria played almost 150 games for Borussia Monchengladbach and boasts more than half a century of caps for Switzerland.

His recent form is believed to have attracted interest from the Premier League during the summer, but Youssouf Fofana’s Monaco exit forced the Ligue 1 club to batten down the hatches and warn off suitors.

Chelsea have drawn a line under their association with Zakaria by splashing out on a hoard of other midfielders. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo cost more than £100m each, and other expensive hopefuls are desperate to take their place in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI.

Renato Veiga, a summer signing from FC Basel, can play in the middle of the park as well as at full-back. Romeo Lavia is keen to make an impact after an injury-hit first season, Carney Chukwuemeka is scrambling for minutes of any description, and Cesare Casadei is struggling to get a look-in.

Those fringe players will be keeping their fingers crossed that this season’s Europa Conference League gives them a chance to impress, with the Blues kicking off their campaign at home to Gent early next month.