West Ham tipped to seal Zouma deal after breaking news – pundit
Gabby Agbonlahor has backed West Ham to complete a deal for Kurt Zouma.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England forward insisted Zouma would significantly improve West Ham’s defence.
The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reported on Monday (23 August) that the Hammers had reached an agreement with Chelsea over the defender but his wage demands of £125,000-a-week remained an issue.
However, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook reported today (25 August) a deal is “very close” after a breakthrough in talks over personal terms.
Asked whether he thought Zouma would improve the West Ham backline, Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: “I do.
“I think Craig Dawson and Angel Ogbonna are good centre-halves but if you get Zouma in you can put him alongside Dawson and they’d be a better two.
“I like Ogbonna, he’s a good defender but he can be outpaced. With Zouma, you’ve got that pace. I think he would be a great addition to the West Ham team.
“The only problem was his wages. Once you start giving out those wages, when does it stop? Other players in that team looking at new deals will want similar money, especially the top players.
“So, that might be the stumbling block but I’m sure West Ham will get it done if they really want him.”
Zouma has played 151 times across all competitions for Chelsea and was part of the squad that won the Champions League last season.
He played five times as the Blues won the competition for a second time.
In other news, West Ham fans should be worried by a “surprise” David Moyes transfer admission.