West Ham make contract decision on Kurt Zouma with current deal to expire in 2025
West Ham United are planning to offer captain Kurt Zouma a new contract, according to TEAMTalk.
The website reported (10 October) that the Hammers are keen to reward the Frenchman’s excellent form after making 70 appearances for the club since 2021, with his current deal set to expire in 2025.
David Moyes made Zouma the new captain of the club after Declan Rice’s departure this summer and has played every minute of Premier League football this season.
Deserved
Before West Ham signed the Frenchman from Chelsea, they had significant and frequent defensive problems. While Zouma is not solely responsible for the Hammers’ improved backline, he has been a pivotal player for Moyes from day one.
His manager has been so impressed by Zouma that he made him the club captain, the fourth man to wear the armband for the Irons in a decade.
While his excellence in the Europa Conference League campaign was an obvious success, Zouma has brought his form into the new season and has taken his new leadership role in his stride. He scored the game-settling goal against Luton Town in September while helping the Hammers to the league’s ninth-best defensive record.
The West Ham dressing room has often struggled to stay united. Even last season, amid their woeful league form, the squad looked frustrated and Moyes’ job looked unstable. The club needed a vocal and experienced leader and the 28-year-old stepped up.
Tying him down on new terms would also be smart financially. With less than two years on his current deal, he could have departed on a cheaper fee, but now the club has protection over their asset and can sell for a better fee – if they opt to.
Zouma certainly deserves a new deal and after an often turbulent career, he has finally settled into a strong side.
In other West Ham news, a talkSPORT journalist has made a “very unusual” claim regarding Hammers contract news.