West Ham United centre-back Kurt Zouma could well be finished at the London Stadium now.
Kurt Zouma joined West Ham from Chelsea back in the summer of 2021 for around £30 million (Daily Mail), and he made a strong start to his Hammers career.
However, he has regressed badly from a physical perspective over the past year or so, and West Ham are apparently prepared to listen to offers for the club captain this summer.
That’s no surprise at all. Zouma was woeful for the Hammers last season, and did not live up to the job of being club captain.
The Frenchman often shied away from the media, and was the first man down the tunnel after a big defeat on numerous occasions – most notably after our 5-0 hammering away at Chelsea in May.
If Julen Lopetegui really wants to take us to the next level, he cannot afford to have Zouma starting games consistently next season.
In fact, I think the Spaniard should be doing everything he can to move the Frenchman on. He’ll be out of contract at the London Stadium in the summer of 2025, and I can’t see him being handed a new deal beyond that.
The latest transfer news involving the Hammers seems to suggest that Zouma’s time at the London Stadium could well be coming to an end…
Kurt Zouma finished at West Ham
We all know that the former Chelsea man was an exceptional defender on his day, but he just hasn’t got the physical capabilities needed to play Premier League football anymore.
Cracks started to appear at the end of the 2022/23 season. The Frenchman picked up a few knee problems and completely lost his pace in the process.
He was never the most mobile of defenders but he sunk to new depths entirely last term, and was constantly targeted by the opposition.
Zouma’s legs seem to be totally shot now. He can hardly move around without limping and just seems like he’s a serious injury waiting to happen at all times.
Every time he goes to ground it looks like he’s struggling to get back up. Sprinting back into position also seems very problematic for the centre-back.
The 29-year-old is in no way whatsoever a leader of men either – something that makes David Moyes’s decision to make him captain last summer utterly baffling.
It’s time for Lopetegui to make a big call and move on from Zouma. Luckily, it seems like that’s exactly what he’s trying to do.
According to a report from NapoliCalcio24, West Ham are ‘getting serious’ now in their pursuit of Udinese centre-back Nehuen Perez.
The 23-year-old Argentinian ace emerged as a Hammers target earlier this month, and he apparently wants to link up with Lopetegui at the London Stadium.
Perez is a top-class defender, if not a little overly aggressive at times.
In 36 Serie A appearances for Udinese last season, Perez averaged two tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 4.3 clearances and 2.3 successful aerial duels per game. He made 40.8 passes per match and recorded a completion rate of 80.3% (Who Scored).
Those stats are pretty impressive and what’s more, he has all of the physical attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League.
He’s strong as an ox, quick along the ground and plays with the kind of passion and commitment that the Hammers fans will fall in love with overnight.
I think that if Perez does join West Ham this summer, Kurt Zouma will be finished at the London Stadium. And judging by the 29-year-old’s performances last season, that will be a very good thing.
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