Last Saturday, West Ham United confirmed on their official website the capture of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee. It has been revealed that the Lyon-born talent has penned a contract with the Hammers until the summer of 2025.
Zouma’s Impressive Season At West London
Zouma had a solid campaign at Stamford Bridge last season after he helped Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League trophy earlier this year. The Lyon-born sensation made 36 appearances for the Blues in the previous campaign, netting five goals and picking up three yellow cards across all fronts.
The 26-year-old proved himself to be a capable defender at the back as he averaged 0.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He was even exceptional with his ball distribution as evidenced by his pass success rate of 90.9% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Zouma could prove to be a decent acquisition for the Hammers as he is about to embark upon the prime years of his playing career. Therefore, David Moyes can expect to get the best out of him at the London Stadium in the coming seasons.
What Will Zouma Add To David Moyes’ Team?
Zouma is usually a dominant presence inside his penalty box as he can use his strong 1.90m frame to win his fair share of aerial duels at the back. He is a decent tackler of the ball and has got the hunger to win possession back for his team.
The French centre-back can clear his lines when needed on the defensive end of the field but can sometimes get caught out of position which can make him a liability on the field. However, he can even contribute by chipping in with some important goals at the other end of the pitch.
Zouma is good enough to compete with Issa Diop, Craig Dawson and Angelo Ogbonna for a place in Moyes’ starting XI. He will instil a winning mindset to West Ham’s dressing room as he has won the Premier League twice and the UEFA Champions League once during his time at Stamford Bridge. At 26, the best is yet to come from the eight-time France international which makes him a decent signing for the East London giants this month.
We can expect Zouma to add a lot of bite and steel to the Hammers backline. Furthermore, the Frenchman could help them compete for a major trophy over the next few seasons. Hence, Moyes has done well to get him on board during this summer transfer window.
