Chelsea’s Zouma in final stages of talks with West Ham; door open for Kounde bid

Zouma closing in on West Ham move

Chelsea’s French international center-back Kurt Zouma is one step closer to completing a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Zouma and West Ham are in the ‘final stages’ of discussions regarding personal terms that would seal a move that keeps him in London, while netting the Blues ~£26million in the process. According to French outlet TF1, Zouma’s medical will take place in Paris and is scheduled for tomorrow.

A concluded deal would bring an end to what has been a successful spell at Stamford Bridge for Zouma on a personal level despite two loan spells away from the club, having two Premier League winners medals to his name as well as a Champions League and Super Cup win.

Zouma out, Kounde in?

As mentioned earlier today, Chelsea is looking to jump back in for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde before the conclusion of the summer transfer window and a completed deal that will see Zouma off-loaded to West Ham goes a long way to securing their overall objective.

The fee received in the expected sale of the French international center-back is revenue that would be immediately available to make a turn-around bid for Kounde, a player whom Chelsea has been linked to for much of the summer window.

And it could not have been better timing Zouma and West Ham to reach a potential conclusion in negotiations between the club and his representatives, with Chelsea under the gun regarding the window they have to try to complete a deal for Kounde. With Sevilla reportedly unwilling to let the 22-year-old French international go in the final days of the transfer window, it may take the Blues triggering the full amount of the player’s £68million release clause to get their man.

This article was edited by Ben Browning.