Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United target, Kurt Zouma ,in action for Chelsea. (GETTY Images)
A report by The Guardian mentions that Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma, who is believed to be up for sale this summer, has refused to join West Ham United.
The Hammers held talks with the Blues in order to discuss a fee for the France international. However, they were disappointed after Zouma’s indication that he doesn’t want a move. (h/t The Guardian)
This could, according to the report, turn David Moyes’ attention towards Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic. This can also have a bearing on the Blues’ pursuit for Sevilla defender, Jules Kounde.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has a £68million release clause at Sevilla, which is a figure Chelsea aren’t interested in paying. Instead, they proposed a cash-plus-Zouma offer that the La Liga side turned down.
They did not buy into Chelsea’s £30million valuation of the former St-Etienne man. Zouma’s apparent refusal to join West Ham makes sense if the two clubs are compared.
Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League last season, beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final. Going from that to playing Europa League football at West Ham would be an obvious downgrade.
Moreover, Tuchel’s men, at least on paper, look better equipped to go for trophies next season. One issue that can arise for Zouma, however, is the lack of playing time under Tuchel.
But that doesn’t mean opportunities for first-team football can’t arise for him. Thiago Silva is in the twilight of his career while Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen could be free agents next summer.
However, it looks like only a matter of time before Zouma departs the club. If Chelsea were in discussions with West Ham, it becomes obvious that they are open to selling him, and the prospect of incoming cash to seal a deal for Kounde is just an added bonus.
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