Marco Silva’s future at Everton may not be clear, but the Portuguese has revealed to the Liverpool Echo that he hopes Kurt Zouma will remain on Merseyside next season.
Zouma has been one of the boss’ most regular fixtures on a teamsheet, starting 20 of a possible 27 games, but as he is on loan, his role signals a position that will need to be replaced next season.
So why not replace Zouma with, er, Zouma?
That seems to be the thinking from Silva, at least, as the 24-year-old is one of the players who he has stated an intent to sign when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.
It’s not the most ambitious move by the boss to sign a defender who has hardly excelled throughout the campaign, and there’s still the tough task of negotiating a reasonable price with Chelsea for their internationally capped man.
Speaking to the Echo, Silva has claimed: “I am really pleased [with Zouma], to be really honest with you. I had the name in my mind, always, and was in contact with people who are close to him but I had that solution in mind, even if you know the club doesn’t want to sell him.
“I see many, many conditions in which he can improve, and he knows because I speak to him everyday what I am demanding of him. But I am really happy with him, he is improving, trying, he is a good professional.
“Let’s see what we can do or not in the future. But it’s also about his opinion, about his future. But we are really happy with him.”
The thought of keeping Zouma at Goodison Park next year on a permanent deal earned these responses on social media…
Please God no.
— Nick Casey (@1NE_LOV3) February 20, 2019
cos the defence is rock solid
— Tim (@UpperBullen) February 20, 2019
Reminds me of yobo …when he’s good he’s good…always likely to do something that costs a goal though
— Paul Dwyer (@pdefc84) February 20, 2019
Not stood out for me at all. He has good moments but Keane tackles, heads and clears twice as much as him.
— Chris prior (@chippy1722) February 20, 2019
Personally think he’s abit of a liability. We really have fallen from grace if we’re signing him on a permanent deal.
— Scott Davies (@sd7hss) February 20, 2019
Standing out from this crowd isn’t accolade of the year
— Stephen Jones (@WeatheredDress) February 20, 2019
Let’s buy a left footed ctr half instead, when Baines went off injured and Digne was suspended there was no left footed player on the pitch for us, we had Lescott/Distin for years never replaced
— Ian Butchard (@ianb719) February 20, 2019
No I was one of them. He’ll cost over 30 mill and I think we could look abroad and get better for that price.
— MTS (@MTSeed88) February 20, 2019
Cant see it happening Chelsea will prob price him out of a move and we look like were tightening them purse strings again
— Paul Jeffers (@PaulJeffers4) February 20, 2019