Former Premier League attacking midfielder Paul Merson has claimed Chelsea have made a mistake in allowing Kurt Zouma to leave for West Ham this summer.
The Hammers recently confirmed the arrival of the 26-year-old Frenchman to the London Stadium in a deal worth a reported £29.8million.
It was expected that Zouma would be instantly replaced at Stamford Bridge by Sevilla ace Jules Kounde, a deal that failed to materialise in the final days of the window.
Speaking on Sky Sports (August 31st, 10:51pm), Merson claimed the Blues may regret the decision to sell Zouma to the Irons.
I don’t agree about letting Zouma go and not bringing anybody in. For me, the Zouma one, I think he will be missed.
Capped on eight occasions by France, Zouma earned an impressive 7.15 average Sofascore rating from 24 Premier League outings last season.
Part of the squad that overcame Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final, the powerful centre-back also scored five goals in the league.
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Ultimately, Chelsea’s loss is West Ham’s gain and the East London club will be delighted a failure to suitably replace across the city didn’t scupper the transfer.
Valued at £28.8million (Transfermarkt), before a ball is kicked it would appear the Hammers have got superb value for money.
Boasting vast domestic and European experience, Zouma will immediately push for a starting berth in David Moyes’ side, perhaps alongside Angelo Ogbonna.
