Kurt Zouma set for loan away as Chelsea prepare to land £50million-rated Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk
KURT ZOUMA will be loaned out by Chelsea next season as the soon-to-be Premier League champions prepare to welcome Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, according to reports.
The French defender has battled back bravely from a cruciate knee ligament injury, sustained last February, which robbed him of a year of his young career.
Kurt Zouma is set for a seaosn away from Chelsea as he continues his recoveryReuters
Southampton star Virgil van Dijk is the main lined up to replace ZoumaPA:Press Association Archive
Despite John Terry leaving the club in the summer, there will not be enough room in the Blues’ squad next season for Zouma, with competition fierce for a place in their back three.
The highly-rated Andreas Christensen is returning from a two-year loan in Germany, with Borussia Monchengladbach, snatching up another of the defensive spots.
Antonio Conte already has first-choice centre-halves David Luiz and Gary Cahill in place and can rotate versatile defenders like Nathan Ake and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Zouma has made seven Premier League appearances this season, but only two of those have been starts.
Zouma and John Terry are both set to leave the club but Terry's is being releasedGetty Images
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The 22-year-old will not have a great sell-on value right now, after such a serious recent injury, so the Blues want to lend him out to rebuild his confidence and form.
Christensen will then be used as the understudy for a season, letting Conte get a good look at the prospect to see if he fits in with his long-term plans.
Chelsea have Champions League football to play next season and both Christensen and Ake qualify as home-grown players.
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