92% Successful Tackles – 3 Reasons Why Chelsea Should Sign This Defensive Rock

Chelsea are in the need of defensive reinforcements as Jose Mourinho doesn’t rate David Luiz highly enough to play him at center back, leaving only John Terry and Gary Cahill as the defenders available to Mourinho. Chelsea have been linked with St. Etienne center back Kurt Zouma, and with a possible move on the cards, here’s a look at three reasons why Chelsea should sign him.

1. Commanding physical presence

The 18 year old has an outstanding physique with a height of 1.87m tall and weight of 85kg. He is hardly a pushover in defense and has great upper body strength. He is one of the quickest center backs in Ligue 1 which helps him make up for any mistakes that he does commit. His strength and pace makes it easy for him to deal with any challenge, be it a more physical forward or a paceier forward- he uses his speed and agility to match up with attackers and dispossess them with his strength.

Zouma’s heading ability is very good, and he is rarely beaten in an aerial duel thanks to the incredible leap that he possesses. This season, Zouma has won 80% of the 45 headed duels, while the figure was an even better 81% of 54 headed duels last season. This could come in really handy for Chelsea when it comes to the defending set-pieces or playing against more physical opponents like Stoke.

2. Passing & Tackling combo

Kurt Zouma possesses an incredible tackling success, having made 92% successful tackles (11/12) this season and 78% successful tackles (8/11) last season. He doesn’t dive into tackles very often and generally measured in his tackling which shows in his numbers- he generally wins when he goes into a tackle. The average tackle per game is remarkably low since he uses his strength and pace to jockey the opponents off the ball, rarely need to make the last-ditch challenge that is so typical of Gary Cahill and John Terry.

Zouma also possesses a good passing ability, especially his ground passes. Although he does not have the ability to make defense splitting passes like David Luiz, he is comfortable on the ball and can move the ball around the back. His average pass accuracy is 85% this season and was 86% last season. His long balls need some work, but that will improve with time.

3. Long term replacement for John Terry

Zouma seems like an excellent prospect and many major European clubs are following his progress at St. Etienne. It seems unlikely that he’ll stay there for much longer, especially with a host of clubs showing interest in his signature. It will no doubt take Zouma some time to to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, but his physical strength and pace will only make the transition easier for him.

Jose Mourinho prefers to have two players for each position, meaning that a move for the 18 year old would see him go straight into the first team squad. With John Terry’s advancing years and lack of pace, Zouma could be just the sort of replacement that Mourinho is looking for, and at £11 million, he could be the perfect fit for The Special One’s new Chelsea dynasty.

Stats Courtesy: Squawka

Scouting Kurt Zouma,