- Kurt Zouma joined West Ham from Chelsea for a £29.8million fee back in 2021
- Zouma played more than 100 times for the Hammers and became club captain
- The defender is now set to join UAE Pro League side Shabab Al-Ahli on a free
West Ham captain Kurt Zouma is reportedly closing in on a move to join UAE Pro League side Shabab Al-Ahli on a free transfer.
Zouma, 29, has been with the Hammers since 2021 after joining from Chelsea for £29.8million.
He has gone on to rack up 103 appearances in all competitions and was part of the West Ham side who won the Europa Conference League in 2023.
Zouma was named club captain at the start of the following season after Declan Rice joined Arsenal for £105m.
But now, according to BBC Sport, the Frenchman is set to join Shabab Al-Ahli, who are based in Dubai, in the coming days.
Kurt Zouma is reportedly closing in on a move to join UAE Pro League side Shabab Al-Ahli
The report goes on to claim that Zouma has been in talks with the UAE Pro League outfit and a deal is almost complete.
The 29-year-old is one of the highest earners at the London Stadium and has a year remaining on his contract.
His departure is set to help improve West Ham’s wage budget after a significant summer overhaul under new boss Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers have already signed Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme and Guido Rodriguez for a combined £117.5m outlay this window.
If the move does go through, Zouma would join the likes of Thilo Kehrer, Said Benrahma and Flynn Downes in leaving the club permanently.
Zouma’s departure will also bring to an end his 10-year stay in English football after he originally joined Chelsea from Saint-Etienne for £12m as a 19-year-old in 2013.
The defender, who has won 11 caps for France, played 151 times for the Blues, winning five trophies with the club, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
While at Stamford Bridge, Zouma also enjoyed loan spells at Stoke City and Everton before his permanent move to West Ham in 2021.
Zouma’s time at West Ham has generally been a success, although he faced significant controversy in 2022 when he was ordered to serve 180 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to kicking and slapping his cat.
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