Kurt Zouma has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons recently. The 19-year-old made a horror tackle against an opponent in France which left his foot barely attached to his leg – think Eduardo for Arsenal – but now he’s in the papers because he has Arsenal and Chelsea supposedly fighting over his signature. But what could he offer the Premier League should he sign?
Despite still being a teenage, Zouma has played 60 games for Saint Etienne at the time of writing and has established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe.
He has averaged 11 defensive actions per game this season and won 91% of his tackles, which unsurprisingly is the highest at the club. He’s also won 36 headers in his 11 outings and completed 86% of his passes.
Instantly I see him at Arsenal as I believe he would be the perfect partner for Per Mertesacker, but with John Terry now 33 and approaching the latter stages of his career there could be a case to say that he’s a solid replacement.
His powerful frame allows him to dominate at the back but he’s also very nimble on his feet – a combination which makes him one hell of a player.
He helped his current club win the French Cup last season and is a regular for the France U21 squad, but if his future sits in the Premier League then I am excited to see if he can replicate his form and get better with age.