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Chelsea have reportedly set a £25m asking price on Kurt Zouma, which seems quite reasonable to us, but less so to West Ham. They were said to be unwilling to meet that valuation and now, according to Sky Sports, are definitely out. Not only are they looking at the £4-5m difference as insurmountable, Zouma’s wages are also a big issue.
West Ham United unlikely to pursue deal for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma. Around £4m apart in valuation & personal terms an issue. Zouma contract at Chelsea up in 2023 & happy to stay. West Ham remain in market for CB. Fiorentina's Nikola Milenkovic an option #WHUFC #CFC #Zouma
— Dharmesh Sheth (@skysports_sheth) August 3, 2021
With two years left on Zouma’s contract, that wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, but his exit seems to be a part of our pursuit of Sevilla’s Jules Koundé, directly or indirectly, so this may be holding up things, as the Guardian, the Telegraph and Goal all report.
Jules Kounde has an agreement in principle to join Chelsea, but the Blues deem the price claimed by his club too high for now.
— Julien Maynard (@JulienMaynard) August 4, 2021
Meanwhile, West Ham remain quite unwilling to let Declan Rice leave on the cheap (i.e. for less than £100m), even if the 22-year-old himself is unwilling to sign a new contract. He does have three years left on his current deal, so there’s no rush in that sense, though as the Telegraph report, it also keeps his own options open for a future move — but those rumors will have to wait until at least next summer.
Declan Rice returns to West Ham pre-season training and has made no demand to leave - @Matt_Law_DT reports #WHUFC https://t.co/Qcayn9aRJA
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) August 3, 2021