West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are reportedly the two clubs in talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for Kurt Zouma.
When West Brom boss Tony Pulis was drawing up his plans for the summer towards the end of last season, it seems unlikely that he was considering the prospect of having to replace his captain Darren Fletcher. But unfortunately for the Baggies, that is exactly what he needs to do.
The former Manchester United man surprised many by joining Stoke on a free transfer in the early stages of the window, despite the Guardian reporting that West Brom had previously held talks with the 33-year-old about extending his deal at the Hawthorns.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis
That decision would surely make landing one of the Baggies’ latest targets all the sweeter for Pulis if they do manage to win the race.
According to Sky Sports’ live transfer feed (11th July 2017; 21:24), West Brom will hold talks with Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma about a potential loan deal.
However, the centre-back will also talks with Stoke on the same day, according to Sky Sports, perhaps presenting West Brom with the ideal opportunity to exact some revenge on the Potters.
West Brom desperately need more options at the heart of their defence, and Zouma would surely be a tremendous addition given the quality he has shown during his time at Stamford Bridge.
And while they would unquestionably still need a replacement for Fletcher regardless of whether they manage to sign Zouma or not, beating Stoke to the Chelsea man would surely soften the blow of losing their former skipper ever so slightly.
Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma
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