Everton are understood to have informed Kurt Zouma of their desire to pursue a permanent deal for his services from Chelsea at the end of the season, a report from The Times claims.
The Frenchman joined the Toffees on a season-long loan from the west London outfit during the dying seconds of the summer transfer window, and he has since been a regular feature at the heart of their backline.
According to The Times, the club’s hierarchy are said to have told Zouma of their intention to secure a permanent move for his signature, and a fee of around £30m could be enough to get the job done.
The discussions, however, may not be straightforward, with the Blues currently reluctant to part ways with any squad players, given that they are facing a two-window transfer ban.
Zouma started the campaign as the regular choice alongside Michael Keane in central defence, but he dropped down the pecking order in December with fellow summer recruit Yerry Mina getting the nod.
Since the turn of the year, however, he has regained his regular starting spot, and has featured in 10 of the last 12 league games, with the other two being missed due to suspension and ineligibility.
Based on this, it is quite clear that the Frenchman has become integral to Everton under Marco Silva, and it remains to be seen whether the club can get a deal over the line with Chelsea.
Zouma recently helped the Toffees keep their fourth clean sheet in five matches as they secured a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium. He also opened the scoring for the side with a fifth-minute header.
