Chelsea and Manchester United to compete for Swiss midfielder?

Chelsea could reportedly compete with Manchester United in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

The Blues spent more than £220m on seven signings this summer, but they were still unable to land a new holding midfielder.

Frank Lampard had wanted to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United, but the Hammers' £80m price tag proved too much for them.

According to Bild, the Blues may look to pursue a defensive midfielder in January and Zakaria has emerged as the fresh target for Lampard.

However, the west London giants may not be alone in the player's pursuit and could face competition from league rivals Manchester United.

United are looking into a long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic, and they have been left impressed by the displays of Zakaria.

The 23-year-old has been a regular starter in his three years with Gladbach. He has also formed an impressive partnership with Granit Xhaka in the Switzerland setup.