LONDON // Premier League giants Chelsea announced on Friday that they have signed 19-year-old French centre-back Kurt Zouma from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne on a five-and-a-half-year contract.
The powerful French Under 21 international, who made his first-team debut at the age of 17, will be loaned back to Saint-Etienne until the end of the season.
“Chelsea Football Club has today signed Kurt Zouma from St. Etienne,” read a statement on the Chelsea website. “He will remain on loan at the French club for the rest of the season.”
Chelsea did not disclose how much they had paid to sign Zouma, but reports in the British media and in France suggested that the transfer fee was around £12 million (Dh75.6m).
Manager Jose Mourinho said Zouma is Chelsea’s fourth and final signing of the January transfer window, following the captures of midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica, Mohamed Salah from Basle and Bertrand Traore, who immediately was sent on loan to Vitesse Arnhem.
“Job done,” Mourinho said.
“The last one in the transfer window. In almost every position we have the present and also the future.”
Chelsea moved for Zouma now as other sides were lining up to recruit the defender, who could spend next season on loan or at Stamford Bridge.
“If we don’t do it now, probably we can’t do it in the summer because other clubs were also very strong on him,” Mourinho added.
“So we did it, now he stays at St Etienne, pre-season he will join us.
“We will see if it is to stay or if it is to go on loan.”
