Defender Kurt Zouma has emerged as the latest target for Everton, report The Mirror.
New Toffees manager, Marco Silva is looking for reinforcements in central defence, especially following the departures of Ramiro Funes Mori and Ashley Williams. Williams joined Stoke City on a season-long loan.
As the transfer window deadline loomed, Everton have been linked with Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo. Any move for the Argentinian has stalled due to excessive wage demands, with The Telegraph reporting that Rojo earns in excess of £120,000 per week in Manchester.
Everton are interested in Barcelona’s Yerry Mina. Mina’s ex-teammate Lucas Digne has just signed for Everton but the Toffees face competition from the aforementioned United and French giants, Olympique Lyonnais. United and Lyon have the advantage of offering Champions League football whereas Everton can tempt the Columbian international in terms of wages.
Hence, Zouma has become Everton’s latest target. The 23-year-old is not in Maurizio Sarri’s plans for the upcoming season as he is expected to depart on loan.
Zouma, 23, signed for Chelsea in January 2014 from Saint-Etienne. However, his Chelsea career has stalled following the horrific anterior-cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained against Manchester United in February 2016. During his time at Chelsea, Zouma has made 74 appearances, scoring four goals.
Last summer, Zouma signed a six-year contract at Chelsea but joined Stoke City on a season-long loan for the 2017/18 season. Despite Stoke’s relegation, Zouma made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal against Brighton in November 2017.
Chelsea have an abundance of centre-backs so departures in this position is rather inevitable. Maurizio Sarri has abandoned the 3-4-3 formation that was synonymous with Antonio Conte meaning only two central defenders are required. 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu is highly regarded and gained important experience during Chelsea’s pre-season. David Luiz, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rüdiger are all vying for the two centre-back positions. That is not to mention Gary Cahill, adding another centre-half to the seemingly endless list.
Is Everton a good option for Zouma? Let us know.
