Denis Zakaria has joined AS Monaco on a five-year deal in a reported €20m move from Juventus. The Swiss international will join up with manager Adi Hütter for a third time.

The Principality club have secured their third recruit of the summer. After the arrival of Philippe Köhn and Mohammed Salisu, Zakaria is the latest to arrive, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is worth a reported €20m, and he comes in as a complement to, not necessarily as a replacement for, Youssouf Fofana. The France international continues to be linked with a move away, but given Jean Lucas’ departure earlier in the summer, the midfield area was in need of reinforcements.

Zakaria, who has nearly 50 caps for the Swiss national team, spent last season on loan at Premier League side Chelsea, where he made 11 appearances. However, this summer he returned to parent club Juventus. He has now secured a permanent move away from the Serie A club after making the move to Italy in the summer of 2020.

A warm welcome from Hütter

For the third time, Zakaria will link up with Hütter. The Austrian manager, who arrived at the Principality club earlier this summer, worked with Zakaria at Young Boys in Switzerland, as well as at former club Borussia Mönchenglabach. In a video posted on Monaco’s media channels, the pair were seen sharing a warm embrace as the pair prepare to work together again. Hütter revealed on Friday that he had called Zakaria ahead of the move.

“I’ll give everything for us to be at the best level and to chase after the highest position possible,” said Zakaria upon his arrival.

The midfielder may feature at the weekend against Strasbourg in what will be the first game of the season at the Stade Louis II.

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Photo source: AS Monaco