Galatasaray ‘target’ Chelsea center back Kurt Zouma — report

It’s been over two years since Kurt Zouma’s promising 2015-16 — he was one of the very few bright spots during that horrendous season — came to a sudden end on an awkward landing and resulting cruciate ligament tear. He returned to the pitch to feature a few times under Antonio Conte, but it was clear that he needed to find a situation where he could play and rehab consistently and put the the injury behind him.

Fortunately, Stoke City proved to be the perfect destination in that regard, and even though the Potters ended up relegating themselves from the Premier League this season, Zouma got all the recovery he needed. But whether his future holds a smooth reintegration back into the Chelsea first-team remains to be seen.

One suspects some of that will have to do with whoever ends up being in charge for next season, and Zouma’s apparently waiting to find out as well before acting on any potential interest, the latest of which is from Galatasaray as per France’s RMC Sport.

There are no details as to whether the Turkish champions are targeting a loan or a permanent move, but the 23-year-old has a contract through 2023 with the Blues, so he’s definitely not going anywhere on the cheap.

There should be room for him the squad next season and beyond, especially as Gary Cahill and David Luiz age out, but perhaps another loan might serve him better in biding his time until then?