Chelsea transfers: Jose Mourinho explains Kurt Zouma signing

Jose Mourinho believes Kurt Zouma has a big future after Chelsea completed a £12m move for the St Etienne centre-back on Friday.

The 19-year-old has penned a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Europa League holders, but the highly-rated defender will stay at St Etienne on loan for the rest of the season.

He’s a player with good potential, big space for improvement, physically ready

Kurt Zouma

And Mourinho revealed that the Blues moved to sign Zouma in the current transfer window due to growing interest in the France Under-21 international.

“St Etienne player until July, so not much story about (him),” Mourinho told his pre-match media conference.

“He’s another young player in the profile of some Chelsea signings in the last few years. We like the profile. We think he’s very much adapted to the Premier League.

“If you don’t do it now, probably we couldn’t do it in the summer because other clubs were also very strong on him. So we did it. Now he stays at St Etienne. Pre-season he’ll join us.

“We’ll see if it’s to stay or go on loan, but he’s a young player in a position where we also need the future. So job done. And he stays at St Etienne. I believe he does (have a big future). He’s very young.

“He’s played a couple of seasons in the French league with St Etienne, and many international matches with U-16s, U-21s national team. He’s a player with good potential, big space for improvement, physically ready.

“But one thing is to be physically ready. Another to be tactically ready. Well done Chelsea. The last one in the transfer window, but well done. In almost every position we have the present and also the future. So well done.”

Zouma has scored four goals in 52 appearances for the 10-time Ligue 1 winners.