Why Kurt Zouma Is the Chelsea Player Liverpool Would Love to Sign
Club politics, poor Premier League form and personality crises aside, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal at Stamford Bridge. When considering which Blues star Liverpool would most love to sign, Thibaut Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Ramires, Oscar, Willian, Eden Hazard, Pedro, Diego Costa and even Loic Remy are all capable of improving the Reds' starting lineup.
But, as when discussing the Liverpool squad ahead of October's Merseyside derby—prior to Brendan Rodgers' dismissal—it was abundantly clear that the area most in need of reinforcement was at centre-back.
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With Martin Skrtel representing a major problem area in Liverpool's defensive line in the long term, and both Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren far from suitable first-choice options for a top-four side, this leaves Mamadou Sakho as the only centre-back in Jurgen Klopp's squad capable of thriving at the top level.
The Frenchman is an exceptional talent, who looks to be progressing even further in the early days of Klopp's Merseyside reign, and for Liverpool to progress, he must be provided with a similarly accomplished centre-back partner.
Therefore, as John Stones emerged as the key target when assessing Roberto Martinez's Everton squad, Kurt Zouma is the one Chelsea player Liverpool would most love to sign—as he is the one Chelsea player Liverpool most sorely need.
Chelsea's signing of Zouma, at the end of the January transfer window in a deal worth up to £12 million, represented something of an out-of-character coup for Mourinho's side, who, while populating their ranks with high-potential youth, have typically targeted top-level signings in Roman Abramovich's reign.
Zouma spent the rest of the 2013/14 season with Saint-Etienne, the side he had been with since 2009, helping ASSE to a fourth-placed finish in Ligue 1. Christophe Galtier's side conceding only 34 goals in 38 games.
It can be argued that, while Zouma was signed as a 19-year-old, Chelsea were banking on a player who already boasted vast experience in top-flight football, having broken into the ASSE first team at the age of 17; Chelsea were merely more astute than their rivals.
Taking up the No. 5 shirt on his arrival, Zouma signalled his intention to forge a first-team role at Chelsea immediately, and few could contend this, as, even at 19, the Frenchman was ready for life in the Premier League.
Now in his second season as a Chelsea player, Zouma has established himself as a competent top-level defender and an invaluable option as Mourinho looks to navigate his issues at the back.
Tall and physically imposing at 6'2" and 92kg, Zouma is the bulkiest player in the Chelsea squad, and this has allowed him to make a swift transition into the Blues' back line, with a strong, aggressive approach to defensive play perfectly suited to Premier League football.
He is also blessed with pace and tactical intelligence, as well as a versatility that is vital for a young defender in English football. Zouma has played at centre-back, right-back and, perhaps most notably, in defensive midfield during his time at Chelsea, including a starring performance in the holding role in the Blues' 2-0 League Cup final win over Tottenham Hotspur in March.
After that game, Mourinho described the Frenchman as "our new Marcel Desailly," as reported by the club's official website, and while Zouma would likely refute such comparisons, this is an important observation of not only his current ability, but his potential.
B/R's Sam Tighe named Zouma as the fourth-best youth prospect in European football in his recent countdown of the top 100, referencing how the defender had "progressed rapidly" under Mourinho.
However, as Tighe continues to note how Zouma has "usurped John Terry for a place in the Blues' XI," this underlines a supreme element of fantasy in discussing the 21-year-old as a Liverpool target.
Zouma is an exceptional young talent, already establishing himself as a key option with the Premier League champions, and as such, Liverpool are unlikely to sign him at any stage, barring a Sakho-like climbdown in estimations.
The Reds should, however, take note of Chelsea's move back in January 2014.
In signing Zouma, Chelsea pre-empted the market: securing the services of one of the most high-potential talents in European football from under the noses of their rivals across the continent, and now they can benefit from Zouma's swift development into a world-class defender.
Rather than covet last year's model, Liverpool must look to follow Chelsea's lead in this respect—and it can be argued that, based on their rumoured targets following Klopp's arrival, they are already beginning to do so.
In the first month of Klopp's tenure, the Mirror have reported the Reds' interest in Porto's prodigious 18-year-old midfield dictator Ruben Neves, while Italian publication Calcio Mercato (h/t Metro) have suggested Ajax's dynamic 20-year-old winger Anwar El Ghazi as a potential target.
Lovren's 17-year-old brother, Davor, has been rumoured to be interesting the club in reports by the Mail, while French newspaper Le Parisien (h/t Metro) have linked Klopp with a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Odsonne Edouard, 17.
Therefore, if Liverpool are to target pre-eminent youth as part of their revamped transfer structure following Klopp's appointment, they could look to reinforce their centre-back ranks in kind.
This is an approach that Everton have arguably taken in light of Chelsea's pursuit of Stones throughout the summer, with a move for Barnsley defender Mason Holgate towards the end of the transfer window serving as something of an insurance policy. Holgate is a promising defensive talent—strong, intelligent, composed and versatile—and will likely step into the Toffees' first team if Stones departs in the future.
Lyon's Samuel Umtiti, 21, Hoffenheim's Niklas Sule, 20, and Marseille's 20-year-old Brazilian defender Doria, currently on loan at Granada, all represent feasible options for the Reds—all capable of performing to a high standard in the Premier League.
If Liverpool were to forgo youth, however, they could still pursue this direction by studying low-key targets, with Mainz's Stefan Bell, Bayer Leverkusen's Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Marseille's Nicolas N'Koulou all suitable options from the continent able to bolster Klopp's defence.
Alternatively, they could play the waiting game.
While both Tiago Ilori and Joe Gomez are unavailable at present, with the former on loan at Aston Villa and the latter sidelined for the season with an ACL injury, the pair do represent potential long-term solutions as partners to Sakho in Klopp's back four.
Gomez in particular is set to develop into a phenomenal defender, with a trajectory similar to that of Stones, and Klopp could look to make do with Skrtel for the season and then build around the former Charlton Athletic man for the future.
Either way, Zouma's rise from ASSE to SW3 should be noted: This is exactly how Liverpool should be operating.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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