Everton are facing a race against time to secure the capture of Kurt Zouma after agreeing a deal to take the centre back on loan from Stamford Bridge, according to L’Equipe journalist Bilel Ghazi.
The reporter for the French publication claims on his personal Twitter account that the two Premier League sides have come to an agreement over the temporary move of the 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt) powerhouse and that the Toffees must now rush through the final stages of the move to seal his capture before the deadline on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/BilelGhazi/status/1027562721250828294
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Stoke City, making 37 appearances as the Potters were relegated.
Good move for Everton?
A loan certainly seems like the most sensible of moves for the Toffees, with Zouma, despite being highly rated, still yet to properly prove himself in the Premier League.
He might have been a regular for Stoke but their relegation must have alarm bells ringing, and the fact he has found himself out of favour at Chelsea should have Everton scratching their heads.
Still, he is a powerful unit at the heart of defence and should bolster the back line at Goodison Park, bringing some much needed youth and mobility to a defence which was one of the oldest in the league last season.
This is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
The clock is ticking for Everton now and despite having agreed terms with Chelsea, could it be a case of too little, too late?
They will have to rush everything through, including the paperwork and medical, to make sure a deal is completed and that could prove to be too much in the short space of time remaining.
Still, they would not have kept pushing if they had not felt it possible, and so fans can expect to see him in the blue of Everton, not Chelsea, this season.
This is Futbol rating: 8.5/10