WEST HAM captain Kurt Zouma is on the brink of a shock transfer to a club in Dubai… on International Cat Day.
The defender – who was infamously filmed kicking and slapping his cat, as revealed by SunSport – looks set to join Shabab Al-Ahli.
Zouma will leave West Ham for free, with the Dubai side covering the final 12 months of the wages on his current Hammers deal.
The transfer is expected to go through in the next couple of days according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
He is set to undergo a medical this week.
Zouma became West Ham’s captain last season following Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal.
He has historically struggled with injury for West Ham but played 33 times for them in the Premier League last season.
Zouma registered three goals in those appearances.
In February 2022, he made headlines for all the wrong reasons, when The Sun revealed footage of him cruelly booting his cat.
West Ham condemned Zouma’s actions at the time – fining him £250,000, which they claimed was the maximum penalty they were able to hand out.
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Zouma’s shock departure, which has coincidentally been agreed on International Cat Day, is said to have been caused by a need for West Ham to trim their wage bill.
The Hammers have made six signings this summer – including the signature of Wolves centre-back Maximilian Kilman for £40million, who will likely be Zouma’s replacement.
The expected transfer would bring Zouma’s ten-year spell in England to an end after he moved to Chelsea from St Etienne in 2014.
He won two Premier Leagues, a Champions League and a League Cup during his time with the Blues – which was interspersed with loan moves to Stoke and Everton.
After moving permanently to West Ham in 2021, he won the Europa Conference League with the Hammers in 2023.
Zouma’s exit comes as West Ham are rumoured to have turned their attention to Kieran Trippier as they look to strengthen at right-back.
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Chelsea have reportedly agreed a £35m deal for Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion.
Conor Gallagher has completed his medical ahead of a £34million move to Atletico Madrid.
Manchester City are also selling striker Julian Alvarez to the La Liga side – and the deal is almost certain to get done despite a slight hitch over personal terms.
Tottenham have identified Dominic Solanke as a major transfer target before the end of the window, according to reports.
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