Everton have brought in Kurt Zouma on loan for the season.
Everton may be out of the Carabao Cup after losing on penalties to Southampton on Tuesday night, but defender Kurt Zouma put in another strong performance.
The French centre back scored his penalty in the shootout after Theo Walcott’s equaliser had cancelled out Danny Ings’ opener, but it wasn’t enough for Everton to go through as Walcott and Richarlison couldn’t score from the spot.
Zouma has made a strong start to life with the Toffees, having arrived on loan from Chelsea on deadline day last month, even if he didn’t put in his best showing alongside Mason Holgate against Marko Arnautovic in the defeat to West Ham United.
Alongside Michael Keane, Zouma starred against Fulham on Saturday and put in another good showing on Tuesday, as he begins to emerge as Everton’s top centre back under Marco Silva.
Now, Sport report that Zouma’s form for Everton has attracted interest from the French national team, and they are considering calling him up as a replacement for injured Samuel Umtiti.
Zouma’s stock is rising and rising, and he should now be emerging as Everton’s top target for next summer’s transfer window, with the Toffees surely already having a permanent deal in mind.
With a host of centre backs already at Chelsea, Zouma looks unlikely to make the grade at Stamford Bridge, and first-team football at Everton should be easier to come by for the former Saint-Etienne talent.
Adding Zouma on a permanent basis alongside Keane and new boy Yerry Mina would be ideal for Everton, and rather than having Zouma at the club for a year and then targeting somebody else, he should be a top target once he gains familiarity at Goodison Park, and with international honours seemingly imminent, it may even be wise for Everton to begin negotiating a permanent move before his value soars.
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