Factfile: Who is Chelsea target Kurt Zouma?

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is set to complete his fourth acquisition of the January transfer window as Chelsea close in on young defender Kurt Zouma from Saint Étienne for around £12 million. Zouma will stay in France for the rest of the season and will put pen to paper on a four year deal in the summer.

After the signings of Bertrand Traore, Nemanja Matic, Mohamed Salah and the departures of Kevin de Bruyne and Juan Mata, the signing of Zouma will surely excite the Blues fans. Many Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United as well as other European giants were after the French defender, but Mourinho’s personal call to the teenager made the difference.

Style of play

Kurt Zouma has regularly represented Les Bleus from Under-16 to Under-21. He was born in Lyon but has been with ASSE since 2009. With great technique, power & strong built, he is been touted as the future captain of the French Football team by many. He is known for reading the game very well with perfect timed tackles, clearances, & interceptions.

His temperament maybe an issue of concern as he recently served a 10 match ban following a nasty tackle on Sochaux’s Thomas Guerbert resulting a broken right leg and a dislocated ankle. He is injury prone, and have played just over 50 games for the French club since 2011. Zouma won Coupe de la Ligue with St Etienne in 2013. He was also a part of the French team that won FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013

Factfile

Nationality: France
Club: AS Saint-Étienne
Position: Defender
Birth Date: October 27, 1994
Age: 19
Squad No: 4
2003: Started his youth career with Vaulx-en-Velin
2009: Scouted by Saint-Étienne, enters academy of Ligue 1 club.
2 April 2011: Signed professional contract with ASSE, agreeing a three tear deal.
31 August 2011: Made professional debut against Bordeaux in a French Cup game.
19 November 2011: Scores against OGC Nice.
14 January 2012: Scores a winning header against Sochaux
28 April 2013: Scores in a 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyonnais.
12 May 2013: Scores a consolation goal as Lorient win 3-1 against St Etienne
06 July 2013: Scores against Uzbekistan in a 4-0 win of France in Quarterfinals of 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
7 November 2013: Banned for 10 matches for his challenge on Sochaux’s Thomas Guerbert.