Kurt Zouma Signs For Chelsea From Saint-Etienne

The New Desailly?
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LYON, FRANCE - APRIL 28: Kurt Zouma of Saint-Etienne celebrates his goal during the Ligue 1 match between Olympique Lyonnais, OL, and AS Saint-Etienne, ASSE, at the Stade Gerland on April 28, 2013 in Lyon, France. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
John Berry via Getty Images

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea revolution is continuing apace after he signed a defender seen as one of the best young players in Europe, Kurt Zouma.

Born in Lyon in 1994, Zouma has played for French club Saint-Etienne since 2009 and signed his first professional contract two years later. He made his debut aged just 16 against Bordeaux and has been a consistent presence in the team ever since.

Possessing exceptional power and technique, the 19-year-old has been on the radar of a number of Europe’s top clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, for some time.

The only blip on his meteoric rise to stardom was a 10-match ban after a reckless challenge on Sochaux’s Thomas Guerbet that left the attacking midfielder with a broken leg.

Despite that blot on his copybook, the French manager Didier Deschamps said in an interview in 2013 that he sees Zouma as a potential captain of the national team. The new Marcel Desailly?