91% Tackle Success: Chelsea target tough-tackling sensation

As David Luiz looks set to leave Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are apparently lining up St. Etienne’s central defender Kurt Zouma.

Barcelona have apparently enquired about Luiz, who has been a peripheral figure at Chelsea this season, and Jose Mourinho could replace him with Zouma.

The young central defender has been fantastic in Ligue 1, drawing attention from a host of Europe’s top clubs, and the Blues are willing to fight it out for the talented defender.

However, the Mirror write that Chelsea will wait until the summer to sign Zouma and keep hold of Luiz for the remainder of the current season. Despite that, if Chelsea receive a good bid for Luiz, he will move on, opening up a move for Zouma now.

The 19 year-old Frenchman has appeared eleven times for fifth-placed St Etienne in Ligue 1 so far this season, ten for which he was part of the starting eleven, but is currently six games into a ten-match suspension handed to him for a horror tackle which broke Sochaux’s Thomas Guerbert‘s leg.

Controversial challenges aside, the young centre-half is remarkably consistent when it comes to tackling, having won 91% of those he has attempted so far in the league. Should he make the move over he would most likely be used as an understudy for Gary Cahill and John Terry but his tough tackling reputation, along with recent incidents, would shred nerves and quake boots across Premier League frontlines during any occasion Mourinho might offer him a chance.