Chelsea has a decision to make if West Ham wants Kurt Zouma

As players return to Chelsea for preseason, the wheels of the transfer market start to move more and more. Kurt Zouma went from the team’s best defender under Frank Lampard to a man on the outs under Thomas Tuchel last season. Many of the Blues’ centerbacks are expendable, but Zouma perhaps more than the rest simply because he’s the one least likely to play. This has made him a bargaining chip in transfers.

The Jules Kounde deal seems to be predicated on Zouma going the other way. Chelsea (understandably) don’t want to pay the full release clause for Kounde and Zouma helps to sweeten the deal while giving Sevilla a replacement. But now, things are getting complicated.

West Ham now want Kurt Zouma which leaves the Blues with a decision to make. Should Zouma help a Jules Kounde deal or potentially a Declan Rice deal?

First of all, the rumor at the moment makes no mention of Rice. It simply says West Ham would offer £20 million for Zouma. That offer is, quite simply, laughable. Chelsea shouldn’t even entertain an offer of just 20 million for Zouma, especially from a local rival. Zouma may not be playing and he may prefer staying in London, but 20 million shouldn’t even get the Blues on the phone.

But, if West Ham are worried about Rice leaving, two birds with one stone can be killed. Chelsea wants Rice, but they don’t want to pay his valuation (which is dropping by the week as he refuses to extend). If West Ham wants Zouma, surely something can be worked out that masks the total value of the deal from both sides. West Ham could receive cash and Zouma and look like they got the full price for Rice. Chelsea can move a player on that they aren’t using and spend a little cash to get Rice and look like they saved money simply because a player plus cash deal muddies the water. It’s a win win.

That is, it’s a win win so long as Chelsea gives up on Kounde. As things stand, Zouma is a make weight for that deal. It would be simply unbelievable for Chelsea to pay his full release clause. Should Zouma move as part of a Rice deal, then the Kounde deal is surely dead. It becomes a choice of where Zouma is willing to move and which player Chelsea prefers.

With West Ham, at least, there is still the prospect of Tammy Abraham moving their way if the club is willing to do business. There is a chance, albeit a slim one, that Zouma and Kounde swap clubs while Abraham and Rice do the same. That would be Chelsea’s best case scenario even with West Ham wanting Zouma.

Worst case scenario is Sevilla and West Ham both play Chelsea with their Zouma interest. The longer the club takes to make a decision and a deal, the least likely either club entertains the swaps under the current deals. Chelsea could easily end up with Zouma next season and neither Kounde nor Rice simply because they can’t make things happen quickly enough.

20 million is a laughable sum, but it at least shows West Ham is interested. And that will give Chelsea a decision to make. With little time to make big moves happen this transfer window, Chelsea will have to be decisive and swift to get the best out of these situations.