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West Ham reportedly want to sign 6ft 3in, £30m-rated powerhouse, fans should be buzzing – TBR View
West Ham United reportedly want to sign Chelsea ace Kurt Zouma.
According to , the Hammers are in talks with the Blues over the French centre-back.
And West Ham fans should be excited about links with Zouma, because he’s a top defender who’d instantly bolster their backline.
West Ham target Zouma – the story so far
The 26-year-old came through the ranks at Saint-Etienne and made 74 appearances for the club overall.
He helped them win the French League Cup in 2013, a year in which he also won the Under-20 World Cup with France.
Zouma was then on the move in January 2014, joining Chelsea for a reported £13.2million.
The 6ft 3in powerhouse has taken in three loan spells while on the Blues’ books.
He spent the remainder of 2013-14 at Saint-Etienne and also played for Stoke City and Everton.
Zouma has clocked up 150 appearances for Chelsea and has won the Champions League, two Premier League titles and a League Cup.
He has also won eight caps for France and was in the squad for Euro 2020.
Why should West Ham sign Zouma?
Any player who can clock up 150 appearances for Chelsea, lift multiple trophies and make the France squad for a major tournament is clearly a top player.
And West Ham need to bolster their central defensive ranks as they’re a little short on numbers.
Fabian Balbuena has left West Ham, so David Moyes currently has just Angelo Ogbonna, Craig Dawson and Issa Diop at his disposal.
Zouma would no doubt become a regular in the starting XI right away.
How likely are West Ham to sign Zouma?
Pretty likely, given Chelsea seem eager to sell him and the player himself is reportedly settled in London and open to keep playing in the capital.
That said, there might be some issues price-wise, given Chelsea for Zouma and West Ham are .
, however, has now reported that the Hammers might be in with a chance if they put together a deal worth £25million.
In addition, West Ham will be monitoring Chelsea’s Jules Kounde negotiations closely, given Zouma could potentially be used as a makeweight.
Fabrizio Romano provided this update yesterday, though there may be a typo – Sevilla presumably would want more if Zouma is NOT included:
Zouma style of play
In 2016, wrote: “Zouma is an old-style centre-back.
“His burly presence makes him an imposing figure for the opposition attackers to get past.
“As the modern game has grown to admire ball-playing centre-backs, Zouma is a throwback to the times when central defenders were expected to hoof the ball away at the first opportunity.”
The following year, Ryan Shawcross told The Sentinel (via ): “He’s quick, he can jump really high, he can pass the ball, he can shoot, he doesn’t get beat one-v-one. He’s like the ultimate defender.
“I think Toby Alderweireld and Kurt are the top two centre halves in the country at the moment.”