Will Everton stumble upon a new formidable centre-back pairing after signing Kurt Zouma on loan?
Everton have confirmed that Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has moved to Goodison Park on a season-long loan and that should be music to the ears of manager Marco Silva.
One of the main problem areas for Silva to address following his appointment was the heart of defence, where the Toffees struggled last season as they were carrying some deadwood.
The Toffees have offloaded Ramiro Funes Mori and Ashley Williams (loan), leaving Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane and Mason Holgate as centre-back options for the new season.
That should leave Silva to use two brand new signings as part of a new-look centre-back combination, with Zouma and Yerry Mina the outstanding candidates.
Zouma’s loan arrival from Chelsea is brilliant news for the Merseyside club and if he can rediscover his top form, the Frenchman can perform to a very high standard in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old is an athletic centre-back that is great in the air and has good pace, something that makes him perfect for English football.
He has to be paired alongside new arrival Mina from Barcelona, who has a lot of similar traits to Zouma given he is speedy and proved at this summer’s World Cup for Colombia a beast in the air.
A Zouma-Mina combination in the Everton backline should give them a whole new platform to build on and Premier League strikers will have to be on top of their game to get the better of them.
Mina, 23, will need time to adapt to the Premier League, but there is certainly potential for Silva to pair him alongside Zouma.
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