Revealed: Why Tuchel wants to sell Zouma this summer
According to latest reports, Thomas Tuchel has prioritised signing a centre-back this summer, with Jules Kounde Chelsea’s top target, and has decided Kurt Zouma should be moved on.
Tuchel identified centre-back as a problem position for the club after arriving at Stamford Bridge and the club drew up a shortlist of players to sign.
That included Ibrahima Konate – who has joined Liverpool, Niklas Sule and Jose Gimenez but Kounde is the man they are pushing to sign.
The France international, 22, is viewed as a player with great potential and would join Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta, Reece James and Zouma as Chelsea stars who can play in a back-three.
However, Zouma’s future is far from certain, according to The Athletic.
While he has proven himself in the air at both ends of the pitch, there are concerns over his ability to play out from the back.
Tuchel has increasingly left Zouma out of the starting XI since his arrival and the club are now ushering him out the door.
They view the Frenchman as a player with decent sell-on value from the £12.5million they bought him for.
West Ham are considering a £20m offer for the centre-half but the Blues think he is worth considerably more than that.
With two years left on his contract and heading into his prime, Chelsea chiefs think now is the perfect time to sell him, particularly with him not being an essential part of Tuchel’s plans.
Rudiger is expected to earn a new deal – he wants to become one of the club’s highest-paid players – while Azpilicueta is viewed an important figure in the dressing room.
But Zouma looks set to be moved on.