Everton ‘eyeing’ a Kurt Zouma loan — report

A very large man has been entirely absent from Chelsea’s frenetic pre-season. His name is Kurt Zouma and before his reappearance at Monday’s training session, the last we had heard of him was that he was left behind when the squad traveled to Australia last month. He had picked up a mystery injury, or so it was claimed.

But while Zouma may be back in training, he does not look to be back in Chelsea’s first-team plans. Right on cue then, a transfer rumor.

Everton are down to two healthy centre backs and badly need reinforcements. They shipped out Ashley Williams to Stoke on loan, Mason Holgate is injured and that just leaves Phil Jagielka and Michael Keane. The Daily Mirror reports that Marco Silva is actively searching for fresh bodies and that Zouma is one of them. He’s not the primary target — Barcelona’s Yerry Mina and Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo are — but they may have to settle for him.

In May and June, Zouma had been connected with a loan to Galatasaray and Fiorentina, but those rumors went nowhere.

With the Premier League window closing in a day and a half, there’s understandable urgency all around to find a home close to home for Zouma so he can log more minutes, after playing all but four league matches for Stoke last season. He’s been outspoken about his wish to play, preferably for Chelsea. With that not in the offing, and with no rumors about a sale, it looks like another loan is in his future.