On the latest episode of Spurs-focused podcast The Extra Inch, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark and @BardiTFC have been discussing the latest goings-on at the North London club, including a discussion of Chelsea defender and reported Spurs target Kurt Zouma.
The North London club has been linked with a move for the French international in recent weeks, which is perhaps unsurprising when you consider that Jose Mourinho signed the centre-back for Chelsea from AS Saint-Etienne during his time at Stamford Bridge.
This perhaps led one Spurs fan to email those on the podcast, asking them for their thoughts on the transfer rumour.
Bardi was the first to offer his thoughts on the former Stoke City and Everton loanee, saying:
“Zouma is a solid enough Premier League defender, I don’t think he’s amazing. He’s decent. He played well in defensive midfield a couple of times against us.
“After we destroyed Mourinho’s Chelsea team at White Hart Lane he then deployed him in that gap behind [Nemanja] Matic and in front of his back four and kind of denied Kane any kind of space in the League Cup final, so I wouldn’t say it’s a bad signing if we get him, it’s not the most exciting but it’s a fine signing.”
Clark then adds his opinion on the defender, saying:
“I guess it would make sense. Obviously Mourinho was keen on him as he worked with him before. His ball playing is a little limited. He’s also another player who eviscerated one of his knees in the past which is always a worry.”
Finally, Miller provides his thoughts on the Chelsea man and whether or not he is better than any of Spurs’ current centre-back options, saying:
“Next season we’re likely to have Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier as a centre-back, and Japhet Tanganga, who we know is primarily a centre-back… Is Zouma better than any of those? He’s probably a bit better than Eric Dier.”
TIF Thoughts…
It seems as if those on the Extra Inch podcast are not that convinced about the potential signing of Zouma in the summer transfer window. Clark raises concern over the Frenchman’s ball-playing ability, although the 25-year-old has averaged a pass success rate of 87.3% so far in the Premier League this season (per WhoScored). He also recalls the Chelsea man’s horror injury in 2016, when a cruciate ligament rupture ruled him out for 32 games, although he hasn’t appeared to have much trouble with injuries since then (per Transfermarkt).
Who would you rather have at centre-back?
Kurt Zouma
Eric Dier
With Spurs having kept just four clean sheets in the Premier League this season, with Jan Vertonghen also looking likely to leave this summer when his contract expires, you could certainly argue that Mourinho is in need of defensive reinforcements.
The French defender certainly looks to be an upgrade on Dier, as Miller suggests, when you consider Zouma’s average rating of 6.90 from this Premier League season so far, compared to the Englishman’s 6.63 average rating.
However, we feel the main issue with this potential transfer is the fee Spurs would no doubt be forced to pay, with Transfermarkt valuing the defender at £25.2 million, which would certainly prove a problem for a Lilywhites side that could be reliant on free transfers and swap deals this summer, due to the financial impact of the current viral outbreak.