Manchester United or Chelsea - Who should Kurt Zouma join?

Kurt Zouma

St. Etienne central Defender Kurt Zouma has been one of the most sought after young players in the last couple of years, and he has continually been linked with a move away from St. Etienne. His impressive physical stature and pace make him a formidable opponent for opposition strikers, and despite his tender years, he is fast building a burgeoning reputation in his native France. Both Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with a move for the Frenchman, but the question is who should the youngster choose?

Chelsea

Chelsea have continually been linked with defensive reinforcements this January, and even though a move for Zouma would likely have to wait till the summer, he would be a quality addition to Chelsea’s squad. Manager Jose Mourinho has lost faith in Brazilian center back David Luiz recently, and has opted to play him as a defensive midfielder instead where his errors are less likely to cost the team.

Zouma would be the replacement for Luiz, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, and will become an integral part of Chelsea’s backline. Mourinho likes to have a big, physical defender in his squad and Zouma will provide that option for him. Zouma will however have to be prepared to spend time on the sidelines as Mourinho’s first choice pairing of John Terry and Gary Cahill are a settled part of the back four.

However, with John Terry unlikely to carry on for long, Zouma could be the perfect person to fill this void at Chelsea. He has the potential to become one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and under Jose Mourinho’s guidance, Zouma could realize his unmistakable potential.

Manchester United

The defense has been a continual source for concern for manager David Moyes, and he has tried various center back pairings and has finally settled on the duo of Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans as his first choice. However, Vidic, as well as veteran defender Rio Ferdinand, is out of contract in the summer and it is highly unlikely to that his contract will be renewed, resulting in a need to sign a central defender.

Zouma’s playing style is very similar to that of Vidic- strong in the air and crunching in the tackle- and he could be a like-for-like replacement for the big Serbian. Zouma has 92% success rate in tackles which is a good stat. United’s defense is built around central defenders who are good in the air, and Zouma certainly ticks that box with an incredible aerial duel success rate.

Zouma will be an upgrade on the other back up defenders that United have in their ranks in Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, and could even become the first choice under David Moyes who has a preference towards no-nonsense defending. Zouma is also very quick and will inject some much needed pace to a slow United defense.

Verdict

The decision to join United or Chelsea will undoubtedly be a difficult one for the young Frenchman since they are two of the biggest clubs in Europe. At both places he is going to get first team football from the start, but it is at United where he likely to get a starting spot right from the start in place of Nemanja Vidic.

Chelsea have a settled back four, and Mourinho may be unlikely to change too much, meaning that his chances will come mainly in the cup competitions. Comparatively, at United he is more likely to become a member of the starting eleven right from the start, and he will be under less pressure to succeed immediately.

Besides, one of the major problems of joining Chelsea is that Mourinho has very clear opinions about players that he rarely changes- take for example the Mata situation where Chelsea sold off one of their best players due to Mourinho’s highly opinionated approach. If Zouma is unable to make a mark on the Portuguese early in his career, he may be cast aside very soon.

Considering all the possible situations, joining Manchester United might be the better career move for the 18-year-old Frenchman.