3. The Verdict

The decision to join United or Chelsea will undoubtedly be a difficult one for the young Frenchman since they are two of the biggest clubs in Europe. At both places he is going to get first team football from the start, but it is at United where he likely to get a starting spot right from the start in place of Nemanja Vidic.

Chelsea have a settled back four, and Mourinho may be unlikely to change too much, meaning that his chances will come mainly in the cup competitions. Comparatively, at United he is more likely to become a member of the starting eleven right from the start, and he will be under less pressure to succeed immediately.

Besides, one of the major problems of joining Chelsea is that Mourinho has very clear opinions about players that he rarely changes- take for example the Mata situation where Chelsea sold off one of their best players due to Mourinho’s highly opinionated approach. If Zouma is unable to make a mark on the Portuguese early in his career, he may be cast aside very soon.

Considering all the possible situations, joining Manchester United might be the better career move for the 18 year old Frenchman.