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Kurt Zouma has dismissed talks about his possible departure from Chelsea on a permanent basis. The French defender is on loan at Everton this season after spending the 2017/18 season at Stoke City.
He broke into the starting XI during the 2015/16 season and was destined to be John Terry's long-term successor. However, he suffered an ACL injury against Manchester United and was ruled for nearly a year.
Speaking to The Guardian after making his Everton debut, Zouma said, “I will go back. I have always believed in myself since I started playing football at 16. I have always wanted to show myself at Chelsea since I have been there. I know my injuries stopped me in the way I wanted to play but injuries are part of football and I want to show people I can come back and play there. That’s why I need some game time at Everton here because they are a good team.”
Zouma also confirmed that he asked for a loan move after holding talks with Sarri. “The manager arrived late and we didn’t know what was the plan of the club. At Chelsea, there were a lot of defenders. I knew I needed to play regularly so I didn’t want to stay on the bench and wait for my chance after two or three months, so that’s why I wanted to go.”
Chelsea have David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen ahead of him in the pecking order and the Frenchman was not willing to wait around for his chance. Continuing to speak about his talks with Sarri, Zouma added, “I spoke with the manager and he agreed with me. I knew at Chelsea they had five central defenders already. He plays with four at the back, so there are only two who play. I didn’t want to wait and he completely agreed.”
The Frenchman is set to be a regular for Everton following an injury to Michael Keane in their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth. The Englishman suffered a fractured skull after colliding with Idrissa Gueye.
