Juve's Zakaria joins Chelsea on initial loan, deal could be worth €37M total

Chelsea closed out the transfer window with a late flurry, signing midfielder Denis Zakaria on an initial season-long loan from Juventus on Thursday.

Should Chelsea take up their right to make the move permanent, and if all potential bonuses are triggered, the deal will cost €37 million total between the loan fee, purchase option, and possible add-ons, Juventus confirmed.

The Blues will cover Zakaria's entire salary during the current season, reports Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian.

The Swiss international underwent a medical in Turin to help facilitate the switch before the 6 p.m. ET deadline passed.

"I'm very happy and proud to be a Blue and I cannot wait to see you soon at Stamford Bridge," Zakaria said of his move.

The midfielder, 25, only joined Juventus in January after starring for Borussia Monchengladbach. He scored on his debut for the Italian club but struggled to establish himself as a first-choice option for Massimiliano Allegri. He started just seven Serie A matches since his arrival, with abductor and thigh injuries hampering his progress in Turin.

He'll add a robust box-to-box option for Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea, who need another mobile midfield presence in the wake of N'Golo Kante's latest injury.

Juventus, meanwhile, have been trying to offload midfielders all summer. Zakaria was tipped as a likely candidate to depart after Adrien Rabiot's switch to Manchester United collapsed. New arrivals this summer, plus the rapid emergence of Italian youngster Fabio Miretti, pushed him down the pecking order, too.