Kurt Zouma Says He's Unsure If He'll Be at Chelsea or Everton Next Season

Everton defender Kurt Zouma has said he's "very happy" at Goodison Park, but he's unsure whether he'll play his football for parent club Chelsea or the Toffees next season.

Zouma has been a standout on loan at Merseyside this season. Per Michael Kelleher of Sky Sports, he said how happy he is to be playing regular football again:

"I am very happy. I am enjoying my season. I am enjoying my time here. It is not finished yet. I am still enjoying it.

"I have been playing a lot. That was my target when I signed here. The loan move has been very important.

"After the injury I wanted to play a lot of games. That is what I did the last two seasons—at Stoke and now here. I have been playing a lot. I just wanted to be back to my level. That is what I did."

Regarding what club he'll play for next season, Zouma said: "To be fair, I have not had time to talk about because we still have seventh place to take before the end of the season, so I am focused on that. Where I will be is where I know I have a chance to play. If it is here or somewhere else—I don't know where—I just want to enjoy myself and to keep playing."

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

The 24-year-old was seen as one of Chelsea's top prospects before he tore his ACL in 2016, setting his career back tremendously. He has needed a lot of time to get back to his best, including a loan spell with Stoke City last season and another campaign away from Stamford Bridge in 2018-19.

As noted by sportswriter Adam Jones, the defender didn't seem keen on staying at Everton at the start of the season, and these latest comments stand in stark contrast:

His current manager, Marco Silva, has indicated he would like the centre-back to stay at the club:

But Chelsea's transfer ban complicates matters. As explained by Kelleher, the Blues are currently appealing a ban that would disallow the club from signing new players for two consecutive windows.

If the ban isn't pushed back, Chelsea may be forced to rely heavily on players like Zouma and Mason Mount to strengthen the squad this summer. While the current team is solid and battling it out for a top-four finish, the Blues will be keen on adding to their options.

Zouma's strong play at Goodison Park will lead to questions regarding his future in west London even if the ban is pushed back. The Blues don't have a ton of defensive depth and would find a place for the France international.

Zouma and his team-mates will worry about the race for the Premier League's seventh-placed finish first, as Everton are locked in a four-way battle with Leicester, Wolverhampton and Watford for that honour.