Kurt Zouma has been a dogged, determined and occasionally dynamic defender during his spell at London Stadium. It has been sad watching him gradually deteriorate and struggle to keep up, like my aged German Shepherd as her legs went and she struggled to keep moving: I knew ‘the end was near’ but couldn’t bring myself to do anything about it.
So appeared Zouma in the warm up games. I think my headline ‘Zouma jogs his way through pre-season’ might have been a bit harsh (as some of his supporters told me in no uncertain terms) but the end of his West Ham career has been sad to witness. Fortunately, in Lopetegui we have a Head Coach who is not afraid of taking tough decisions when called for, (unlike last season where it was painfully clear to most that Kurt shouldn’t have been in the starting XI) and J’Lo made sure someone tapped Zouma’s shoulder to tell him his time was up.
It is no surprise, however, that shipping him out to another league has been fraught with problems. Ironically it is claimed that ‘other injuries’ instead of the knee problems -that have made me wince every time he made a block last year -have been the reason for his failure to complete a transfer to Dubai club Shabab Al Ahli.
West Ham and Zouma’s problem is that he is now stuck in a sort of ‘injury twilight zone’ whereby he is too crocked to sell but still contracted to The Hammers for another year.
It appears that the solution may be – as always – down to money.
One of the options under discussion is, apparently, to pay him to tear up his West Ham Contract under which he still has a seasons’ wages of £4,6 million owing, and make a one-off payment to him: I believe £2 million is being mooted as a ‘settlement’.
This would remove him from the wage bill at West Ham and leave him a free player should anyone else wish to take him on, perhaps, a pay as you play option.
It is a cost the club didn’t want but means he doesn’t sit on the bench, running down his contract for year, costing the full year’s salary.
A slightly bitter pill for The Irons to swallow but compared with the £170 million-plus spent on players this summer ,just another ‘loss’ to deal with when PSR accounting comes around.
A solution that is probably best for all. So, realistically, it’s pretty clear we’ve seen the last of ‘Zooooooooooooo’ at London Stadium: Thank you Kurt, for all that pain and effort.
The only Medical Zouma would pass is a Care Home entry and everyone knew that.
Arabs trying it on
It’s Sad and inevitable, paying him off maybe the best solution, I hope we can get a replacement. How is your beloved Pooch?
Ahh.. long gone to the dog park in the sky
I bet the cats s******ing in to its paw!!
Paying £2M saves £2.6M and frees up a squad place. His value must have amortised to virtually zilch on the books. I guess he could be deregistered if it wasn’t happening fast enough.
A solid defender in his time but we knew his knees were more than a bit dodgy when we bought him.
If Zouma were a pooch , he’d be put down .
i bet he is glad he is not a cat !!!
Very fair and as you say a great shame for the guy. His decline over the last season has been dramatic and just shows how quickly the body can deteriorate as years catch up; and we have just given a 26year old with exceptional pace a 7 year contract????
Actually his decline over the close season has been dramatic. While I know he clearly was having issues last season (and before) he played in many of the games in April and May last season. Yet in three months we have all come to the conclusion that he is done. Given that in the close season presumably he should have at least got some rest how come the now terminal decline? Why did we play him in some of the pre season friendlies? Is he really that much worse or is it a) new training regime b) new manager or c) finally admitting the truth? Odd that a first team player who plays in the last match of the season (and it was City) comes back to preseason unable to play any part again.
Sullivan was horrified when he heard of Zouma’s knees before signing for us.
I don’t trust the Arabs.
Pay him off with the condition that he cannot play for anybody else.
With his record he was always going to fail the cat scan 😊
Well played. Well played indeed…
He’s made millions, and he was very lucky the club stood by him when he was charged. From a playing perspective, I don’t think he ever overachieved for a £30m CB. Draw a line and move on.
Football mirrors Society.
If you don’t tie players down to long contracts you run the risk of them kissing the badge and then saying,”kiss my chuffer” a year later (Dimitri Payet and Marko Arnautovic) to name just two.
Loyalty is a word that few understand
The rumour is he couldn’t get up the stairs of the plane taking him to the Middle East.
Good god! Why on earth are west ham paying “Zouma” that much?? He’s not exactly Zouma by name & nature is he?! The hammers really need to start being realistic about player’s as they age