Chelsea star eyeing loan move next season to enhance his World Cup chances?

Kurt Zouma has refused to rule out a possible move away from Chelsea next season as he has one eye on a World Cup call up for France next year.

It’s fair to say that the injury Zouma suffered a year ago was devastating for him personally. Having forced his way into the first team as Chelsea stuttered in the Premier League, Zouma became a favourite with the fans and was being selected on a regular basis. Life was good for him at Chelsea until he jarred his knee landing heavily at an awkward angle, an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season, Euro 2016 and the start of this season.

With Antonio Conte’s arrival at the club while he was still in recovery, working his way back to full fitness, Zouma was never going to be able to show the new man in charge the qualities he had, what he could offer the team which had to be frustrating for him personally but also for Conte himself. Here he had a young promising defender that would be ruled out until at least three or four months into the season and would have had to have put any thoughts or plans for him to one side until then to focus on the players instantly available.

As we sit here now, ten points clear at the top of the Premier League and odds on favourites for the title on betting sites right now, it’s clear that Antonio Conte has discovered a formation and with that, the right personnel to make it click. As a result, there has been very little rotation of the first team ever since he led the side to a run of thirteen victories in a row which took us from mid-table, back to the top of the league where we remain to this day.

The likes of Branislav Ivanovic (who has since left the club in the January transfer window), John Terry and now Nathan Ake have all had to come to terms with the fact that they will have to be patient, to take their places on the bench and wait for a chance to impress.

Upon his return from injury to full fitness, Kurt Zouma has found himself in the same situation and had to settle for a place on the substitutes bench limited to late cameo appearances in games and starts in the cup competitions only.

As he prepares for the remainder of the season and beyond, Zouma was asked recently of his plans for next season and of the possibility of looking for first team football elsewhere next season. He responded by saying:

"A loan before the World Cup? Why not. We'll see at the end of the season, but I'm focusing on Chelsea.

I'm confident and I know I will play. I've not talked about my future with Antonio Conte.

My aim is to impose myself at Chelsea. When I came to the club two-and-a-half years ago, I had a desire to continue here. I'm very happy. I’ve never focused much on the future.

 I think more to the present, with the squad, which is very good and which is going well. We want to do great things.”

It’s clear that for Kurt Zouma next season will be huge for him and his career. He’s at an age (22) where he needs to be playing regularly week-in, week out and it’s important that he does whether that is at Chelsea or not next season.

We wait to see what happens.