Negotiations between West Ham United and Chelsea over Kurt Zouma’s move to the London Stadium have reached the final stages, per Fabrizio Romano.
Italian journalist reports the parties are closing in on a €30 million deal as the Blues look to offload their fringe defender before submitting a bid for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
Zouma has become a marginal figure at Stamford Bridge since Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at the helm back in January.
Having found himself at the bottom of the pecking order in west London, the 26-year-old has become aware he needs to find a new destination to revive his career.
Several Premier League clubs were interested in snapping up the Frenchman’s services, but it seems West Ham have won the race after accelerating their pursuit of Zouma.
David Moyes, who guided the Hammers to a sixth-place finish last term, has identified the ex-Saint-Etienne man as an ideal defensive reinforcement.
Despite putting Zouma up for sale, Chelsea have never intended to let him go without a hefty compensation fee, which deterred a couple of teams from making a move.
However, West Ham’s need for a new defender has forced Moyes to commit to a €30m investment.
Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson have been the Irons’ preferred centre-back duo this season.
But they have failed to keep a clean sheet across the opening two Premier League weekends, convincing Moyes to step up his interest in Zouma.
With the Frenchman defender heading towards the exit door, Chelsea can now focus on landing their long-term target Kounde.
The 22-year-old has been in sublime form so far this term, helping Sevilla win both of their opening Premier League fixtures without conceding a single goal.
Los Rojiblancos are open to cashing in on their prized asset, but Chelsea will likely have to make a substantial financial sacrifice to get the deal over the line.