Charlie Austin has suggested on talkSPORT that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will regret not trying their luck at signing Kurt Zouma from Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
Zouma left Stamford Bridge at the end of the market to join West Ham United in a £30m deal. The Irons saw the France international as a possible target after he fell out of favour under Thomas Tuchel last term, having played just nine league games under the German.
Frank Lampard was a staunch believer in the 27-year-old while at the Blues helm. Zouma had played 15 Premier League fixtures before Chelsea sacked their manager in January.
Zouma accepted West Ham’s last-ditch approach to leave Chelsea as he saw the Irons as a club to develop with. Their Europa League qualification last term gave him confidence that the Hammers were on the up, while David Moyes instantly gave assurance he wanted him.
Arsenal and Tottenham both strengthened their centre-half options in the summer transfer window. The Gunners paid Brighton £50m for Benjamin White, while Spurs signed Cristian Romero on a season-long loan from Atalanta that carries a £46.5m option to buy next year.
Austin, however, feels both Arsenal and Tottenham will regret not throwing their hat into the ring for Zouma before Chelsea and West Ham agreed terms for a last-ditch transfer.
“Zouma is definitely up there [with the Premier League signings of the season so far],” he said. “Other clubs are looking at it and thinking: ‘We should have went for him’. Spurs, Arsenal – they are. [Chelsea only let him go] because they have better players.”
Should Arsenal or Tottenham regret not trying for Zouma transfer from Chelsea?
Zouma has established himself as a key player for West Ham since his move from Chelsea in August. The £120k-a-week centre-half has started their last 11 Premier League fixtures, but sustained a hamstring injury last Saturday.
Moyes now faces 12-weeks without the nine-cap enforcer, who has been a vocal leader at the heart of his defence. He has also offered a number of vital tackles to impress Austin.
White, meanwhile, has shown occasional susceptibility to fragility in Mikel Arteta’s plans. His ability to lead the Arsenal line has also not been on the level Zouma gives West Ham.
Romero has also not been without fault for Tottenham since his summer switch from Serie A. Premier League offences have caught the Argentine out of position and out of sync with his Spurs teammates at times.
The 23-year-old also only started six of Tottenham’s 11 top-flight fixtures before sustaining a hamstring injury on international duty. Antonio Conte has confirmed Romero is unlikely to return until after the New Year.
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