Serie A giants AS Roma have reportedly made a £25 million bid for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma, according to the Sunday People, via Mirror Sport.
The Frenchman is currently the third-choice option at centre-back for the Stamford Bridge outfit, behind Gary Cahill and captain John Terry, and he could fall even further down the pecking order if the club are able to land John Stones before the transfer window closes next month.
With the European Championships on the horizon, Zouma will need to be playing regularly if he is to stake his claim to be included in the France squad next summer and a switch to Serie A may enable him to do just that.
It is understood that Roma manager Rudi Garcia has placed the 20-year-old, who made 15 league appearances in his debut season in West London following his arrival from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne, at the top of his list of transfer targets to fill the void created by Alessio Romagnoli’s departure to AC Milan [via the club’s official website].
However, with Zouma held in high regard at Stamford Bridge, it’s more conceivable that the Italians could lure youngster to the Stadio Olimpico on a season-long loan deal as the Blues may be reluctant to let the defender leave on a permanent basis given Terry’s advancing years.
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Any potential deal hinges on whether Chelsea are able to convince league rivals Everton into parting company with Stones, as Toffees manager Roberto Martinez has remained defiant that the talented defender will stay at Goodison Park this season [via Guardian Sport].
The reigning champions of England are expected to launch a third and final bid for the 21-year-old after seeing two offers rejected earlier in the summer [via Telegraph Sport] and it remains to be seen whether the Merseyside outfit can resist interest from the Blues.