Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma rebounded from a rough start to become the club’s best centerback this season. What questions should be asked ahead of next season?
Kurt Zouma finally got his return to Chelsea after a few years away on loan. The start was extremely rough with the Frenchman being at fault for more than a few goals. But then he steadied out and over the course of the season became Chelsea’s best centerback both in ability and consistency. What questions need to be asked of him before the new season?
1. Chelsea cannot be dumb enough to sell him, right?
It is best to start with the elephant in the room. Of all the Chelsea centerbacks, the only one that has really been mentioned with a transfer away (Fikayo Tomori rumors have only ever been about a loan) has been Zouma. That the Blues’ best centerback of the season would even be rumored for a move away is confusing.
Taking a step back, reasons can be found to make the rumors make sense. Chelsea needs and wants a new centerback, but one will have to depart to make room/fund the new acquisition. Tomori is eyed for a loan and Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger will both fail to attract strong suitors after their performances this season. That leaves Zouma.
In addition, there may be a sense on Zouma’s end that his time at Chelsea has run its course. He is reaching that age where players start to itch for a move for their prime years. If a French club or one of the Spanish giants came calling, it may be too good of a move for Zouma to pass up.
All that being said, Chelsea would be monumentally stupid to sell Zouma. He was easily the club’s best centerback through the course of the season. Is he the mystical ball playing centerback everyone in the world craves thanks to Pep Guardiola? No, but he does not need to be. He does the important bits, defending, well and the Blues can always bring in someone to do the fluffy stuff later.
Chelsea needs a new centerback, but not to the point where letting Zouma go makes even a tiny bit of sense. Right now, the rumors are only at the “they would consider it stage” but that should be as far as it goes this summer.