Chelsea took 25 players to Australia for a short stay built around a friendly against Perth Glory. Kurt Zouma was not among them, adding credibility to talk of an impending departure.
As with many cases built on circumstantial evidence, any individual piece can be dismissed easily enough but the totality paints a pretty clear picture. Chelsea introduced their first signing under Maurizio Sarri – Jorginho – to the world holding up a #5 jersey. At some point in the last week, the previous wearer of that jersey – Kurt Zouma – vanished from the first-team page on the club’s website. And the Blues are now in Australia without Zouma.
Except among major stars and those with the traditionally reserved numbers (i.e., 1, 9 and 10), players can switch numbers without too much fuss. Eden Hazard started off as No. 17 for the Blues. The #5 kit was even vacant last year, as Kurt Zouma was at Stoke City. Young players, fringe players and potential loanees come and go from the official site, with the digital team trying to keep up with the latest moves just as we do.
Not making the trip to Australia, though? That one is harder to explain away. Chelsea’s other French international who did not play in the World Cup – Tiemoue Bakayoko – is on the plane Down Under. So are loanees like Kasey Palmer, Lucas Piazon and Mario Pasalic. Even more signficantly, Michael Hector, Tomas Kalas and Fikayo Tomori are making the trip.
Hector and Kalas are serially loanees who should be on their last look at Chelsea, assuming they are not already past their sell-by date. Kalas has at least been on the bubble during the last two preseasons, but Hector has never been realistically close. Kalas is a strong favourite to return to Fulham this season, possibly on loan but hopefully as a permanent transfer.
Tomori is a 20-year old rising prospect who should stay in the loan system for at least two more seasons. After a successful year at Hull, he is ready for the Andreas Christensen program: a two-year, first-tier loan to set him up for a real shot at Chelsea’s first team.
None of these players are in the position Kurt Zouma wants to be in vis-a-vis their long-term future. Yet they still rated above him in filling out the squad for Australia.
Zouma, like this trio, would have a nearly impossible battle to stay with Chelsea and play regular minutes this season. Chelsea are extremely deep at centre-back, will likely be needing fewer centre-backs under Maurizio Sarri and may still be buying Daniele Rugani.
Zouma is also not well-suited to Sarri’s conception of the role. Sarri does not require his centre-backs to spray passes in every direction and lead the play out from the back the way Antonio Conte did. But he does require a moderate level of ball-playing ability, and a lot of speed to cover back as his teams play a high defensive line. Zouma is not smooth enough on the ball and, especially since his injury, does not have the speed. David Luiz and Gary Cahill are low in the pecking order, but both still fit the Sarri centre-back role better than Zouma. Luiz has the speed and ball skills, and Cahill has the passing ability and a variety of ways to cover for his slow speed.
Nothing in the near future looks promising for Kurt Zouma at Chelsea, which is a shame considering how much promise his future at Chelsea held when he arrived. The Blues owe him – as they do so many other players in his position – the respect and stability that comes from a permanent move. He remains a top-flight player, as he showed in his season as one of the few bright spots in Stoke’s descent to the Championship.
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No one sign says it all, but as a group things are pointing at Zouma leaving Stamford Bridge soon, perhaps before the squad return from Australia or before his compatriots return with their World Cup medals. Hopefully Chelsea will see him again, lining up against them at a forever home elsewhere in the Premier League.