Noel Whelan has offered his thoughts on Kurt Zouma's possible move to West Ham this month.
What's the talk?
Former Premier League forward Noel Whelan has suggested that West Ham could be an ideal destination for Chelsea's Kurt Zouma. Whelan has said that the Hammers being in London and playing in the Europa League could make them the perfect place for the 'dominant' centre-back.
“It’s a club in Europe, a club that, whatever he would be paid, (he) would be one of their first-choice centre-halves.
“The transition is already there when it comes to English football. He’s been here a long, long time now. He is a very dominant centre-half, there’s no doubt about that.
“A very powerful player, very good in the air and dangerous and committed in both areas, going forward and defending.
“I think it’d be an easy transition. He’s probably not going to be needing to move home."
These comments came after Sky Sports reported that West Ham and Tottenham are keen on a deal for the defender, who is reportedly valued at £25m by Thomas Tuchel's side.
Moyes needs him
GSB needs to get this deal done before the end of the window. They need to pay up the £25m and pounce on this opportunity to add Zouma to David Moyes' squad as he could be a phenomenal addition to the team.
The French international is experienced and proven in the Premier League, whilst also still relatively young by centre-back standards at the age of 26. This means that he could come in and have an instant impact on the team whilst also having the potential to develop further and become a key player for the club for many years to come.
Last season, Angelo Ogbonna was West Ham's highest-rated centre-back on WhoScored. He achieved a rating of 6.73 for his performances, putting him ahead of Fabian Balbuena (6.71) Craig Dawson (6.67) and Issa Diop (6.64) in the pecking order.
The Italian won 2.3 aerial battles and made 1.1 interceptions per game in the Premier League. Zouma, meanwhile, averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.07 as he won 3.6 aerial battles and made 1.2 interceptions per game. This suggests that the Frenchman could come in and be an immediate upgrade on what Moyes already has at his disposal.
Moyes also needs Zouma because of his age and the age of his other options. Balbuena, Dawson and Ogbonna will all be 30 or older by the end of the month and Diop, 24, only started 15 matches last term.
This means that the Scot is in need of a younger defender who can come in and be a regular starter for the next four or five years, as the other options in the squad begin to enter the final years of their career. At the age of 26, Zouma would be exactly what he needs.
AND in other news, Get it done: GSB must complete West Ham move for 22-goal marksman, Moyes needs him...