Chelsea to extend Kurt Zouma’s contract before loan move — report

Since the first reports of Chelsea's intention to send Kurt Zouma out on loan next season, upwards of 20 clubs have expressed interest in adding the towering centre back to their team. The latest names to have reportedly thrown their hat into the ring are Premier League sides Stoke City and West Bromwich, with other clubs from England and abroad also making enquiries for him. While Zouma might be entirely sold on the idea due to his desire to prove himself at Stamford Bridge, he’s likely to eventually see the logic behind the move. And when he does, he will get a nice Loan Army enlistment gift on his way out.

According to ESPN, Chelsea will offer Zouma a new contract before his loan — this is fairly standard operating procedure for the club (see: Victor Moses, Andreas Christensen, etc.), and one that also makes perfect sense in this case just to reassure Zouma of his Chelsea future, if nothing else. With just two years left on his current deal, this is the ideal time to do so anyway.

Zouma is yet to truly find his feet again after returning from a torn ACL halfway through last season. With the arrival of Antonio Rüdiger and the return of Andreas Christensen — to whom Chelsea will grant every chance to succeed — Zouma finds himself at the bottom of the centre back depth chart. A year out on loan for the 22-year-old is the best solution for all involved.