Best Player Of The Week – Chelsea Player Wins Surprise Award – Not Hazard

EA Sport Performance Index released it’s Premier League Team of the Week, which included Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma. EA decides the team based on a number of criteria where each player earns points for what they do and don’t do on the pitch, and Zouma earned an amazing 57 points, placing him above Manchester City’s Aleksandar Kolarov. Zouma has been a pleasant surprise in Mourinho’s title winning side this season, after returning from his loan spell at Saint Etienne. Chelsea purchased the Frenchman from Etienne two summers ago, but part of the deal required him to be loaned out for a season to his former club before he could play for Chelsea. He struggled at the beginning of his Chelsea career, but now he finds himself competing for a spot in the starting XI next to Captain John Terry, at the expense of Gary Cahill.

Zouma can be seen by Chelsea supporters as the long term replacement of John Terry, but he is good enough already to replace Gary Cahill, so he could be loaned out next season if Mourinho purchases an extra center back this summer. Sampdoria is reportedly interested in signing the 20 year old on a loan deal. It could be interesting to see if Zouma is loaned out to an Italian club, similarly to Mohamed Salah. Salah was loaned out to Fiorentina, where he has exploded on the scene, proving his quality that he couldn’t show at Chelsea while sitting on the bench. It is great news for Chelsea fans, because Salah could be sold this summer and the currency raised could be put towards purchasing an extra center back, so Zouma could be loaned out too.

If Zouma is not loaned out, he might switch to playing as a holding midfielder, where he can backup Nemanja Matic. He has played that position is some  key matches this season, against Manchester United where he virtually removed Marouane Fellaini from the game, who was in the best form of his life. Zouma is a great player, and he has the opportunity to improve his game to become a world-class defender for Chelsea.