Marco Silva has regularly said that he is keen to see Andre Gomes and Kurt Zouma’s loan deals turned into permanent transfers, but the boss will have to wait to see if the French defender can be retained.
Not only because Chelsea are yet to learn the outcome to their transfer ban appeal, but because the 24-year-old has stated, in quotes reported by Sky Sports, that he will not rush into any decision over his future.
Since joining us on loan in the summer, Zouma has been able to land a consistent spot in a side that’s not competing for relegation, having faced the drop down to the Championship when with Stoke.
There was certainly no starting spot on offer at Stamford Bridge at the beginning of the campaign, either, and if one is now on the table, it will only be down to what the £18million-rated ace has displayed in his 30 outings for us.
Thankfully, Zouma has not closed the door to joining us for good, as well, and admitted he is happy on Merseyside.
“I don’t know yet. We have five more games to play and then we will see,” he said, when asked whether he would like to stay on at Goodison Park. “I am very happy. My aim was to come and play and improve myself and I think I have done here. I hope we will finish the season very high.
“We have more confidence and everyone defends as a unit. Now everyone understands each other, we hold the ball a bit better, we are more compact as a team, as we defend together and attack together.
“We are confident, are playing forward more and are playing better and we believe, but the season hasn’t finished yet so we have go again next week and get a win.”
In his 27 Premier League outings, Zouma has averaged the second-most tackles, most interceptions, and fourth most clearances per 90 minutes of anyone to play at centre-back for us this term.