Tottenham have renewed their interest in Chelsea midfielder Kurt Zouma, a player valued at £ 25m by the Blues and who has already been the subject of recent interest from West Ham.
Zouma’s Chelsea future became uncertain during the second half of last season when Thomas Tuchel restored faith in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, both of whom had previously fallen out of favor under former coach Frank Lampard.
Zouma has since also ended up after home-made talent Trevoh Chalobah in the hacking order and was an unused replacement for Chelsea’s opening match in the Premier League season on Saturday.
Chelsea had initially hoped to use Zouma as a lightweight in an approach to signing Jules Kounde from Sevilla. But while a deal on Kounde’s side seemed close, Zouma himself was not keen on the idea and made it clear to the club hierarchy that he prefers to stay in London.
A potential transfer to West Ham later fell through when Hammers considered Chelsea’s prize price too steep. An initial fee of £ 20 million was set, but 90 minutes understand that the Stamford Bridge club stands by its valuation of £ 25 million.
Sky Sports has now reported that Zouma, who first arrived in English football in 2015, has returned to Tottenham’s transfer radar after being linked with Blues London rivals earlier this summer and a year ago, and is among a “number” of defenders which they are considering.
The Frenchman’s aforementioned preference to stay in London could help Spurs in their quest if they are willing to face the award in a way that West Ham have not been.
Chelsea had hoped to use Zouma as a weight to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
Spurs have already brought in Argentine midfielder Cristian Romero on an initial loan from Atalanta this summer, but Toby Alderweireld has been sold and Juan Foyth has made last season’s loan to Villarreal a permanent transfer.
Romero made his debut as a late replacement for Manchester City on Sunday and is generally expected to become a regular starter once he is fit and fast. Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Joe Rodon and the versatile Japhet Tanganga are the other options available today, although Sanchez’s future is uncertain.
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