Why Chelsea should offload defender Kurt Zouma
According to TF1 reporter Julien Maynard (h/t Daily Express), Chelsea have offered Kurt Zouma to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the summer transfer window.
Despite making 36 appearances across all competitions for the Blues this season, centre-back Zouma has struggled to nail down a starting spot under new boss Frank Lampard. The 25-year-old Frenchman has mostly been deployed at the back in a rotational manner alongside Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Fikayo Tomori since the beginning of the season.
However, Zouma is firmly behind Rudiger and Christensen in the pecking order, forcing the club to consider offloading him. Chelsea have also spent a lot already by signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner from Ajax and RB Leipzig respectively and are in need of funds.
That said, Chelsea are considering letting go of Zouma, who is valued in the region of £27m in order to raise money and reduce the financial constraints upon the London side.
Zouma surplus to requirements at Chelsea
Meanwhile, reports from France claim that PSG are keen on landing the unwanted Blues defender, in order to bolster their squad’s options ahead of next season. The Ligue 1 giants are at the risk of losing club captain and veteran Brazilian defender Thiago Silva whose current contract is set to expire at the end of next month.
The Thomas Tuchel-led side need an established defender with Silva departing. And the experienced Zouma clearly fits the bill. Chelsea, on the other hand, have enough backup in their defence with Rudiger remaining manager Lampard’s obvious first-choice man.
Academy graduate Tomori’s rise through the ranks this season has been a welcoming sign for the Blues.
Young Tomori has impressed for Chelsea with 22 appearances from all competitions this season and seems to be on the path for more first-team chances in the upcoming campaign.
The side already has enough talented centre-backs at their disposal. And Zouma looks like surplus to the club’s requirements at the moment. Hence, Chelsea’s decision to let go of him amidst interest from PSG looks like a step in the right direction.
Read more:
- Why the time could be right for Chelsea to offload Emerson Palmieri
- Why Chelsea should make a move for Alphonse Areola
- Time for goodbye – Chelsea would be better off letting go of veteran star Willian
Verdict
Chelsea are currently third in the table. They have good depth in their defence, meaning Zouma’s departure will not hurt them bad next season. Also, having arrived at Stamford Bridge back in 2014, Zouma has failed to establish himself until now. Considering all this, Chelsea’s decision to sell Zouma to PSG will be a win-win situation for both the parties.