In case you missed it amid the chaos of transfer deadline day and West Ham’s defeat to Manchester City, Kurt Zouma has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah on loan.
The French defender departs for Saudi Arabia after making 103 appearances for West Ham since his arrival three years ago. Whilst the club is presenting this transfer as a loan deal, it is likely that we will never see Zouma at the London Stadium in claret and blue again.
The £25m signing from Chelsea has been plagued by injuries since joining the Hammers, and one can only hope that he remains fit and pain-free enough to enjoy what should be his peak years as a central defender. Unfortunately for the player, he is no longer able to meet the demands of Premier League football, though I suspect that he might still be with the club if David Moyes had retained his job.
The 29-year-old played a key role in West Ham’s UEFA Europa Conference League triumph in the 2022/23 season, where they defeated Fiorentina in the final in Prague last June. Zouma also contributed to the team’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League during his first season, 2021/22, and their ninth-place finish last season, where he captained the side.
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