Chelsea Starlet Kurt Zouma Not Returning to St Etienne Next Season

Kurt Zouma will not re-join St Etienne on loan from Chelsea ahead of next season, according to the Ligue 1 club.

Chelsea signed the 19-year-old during the January transfer window for a fee of £13.5m after Jose Mourinho personally called the youngster urging him to move to Stamford Bridge.

With the club reportedly in the market for another centre half this summer - with Porto's Eliaquim Mangala and Roma defender Mehdi Benatia two names in the frame - there had been suggestions Zouma would be sent out on loan to gain further first team opportunities next term.

Another spell at Saint Etienne, where Zouma has been a member of the first team squad since 2011, has been mooted in recent days. However, their club president Roland Romeyer has confirmed to regional newspaper Le Porgres that the young centre half will not be part of their squad next season, Le Sport 10 report.

Having also turned down offers from Manchester United and Inter, Zouma is seen as the long-term replacement for John Terry at Stamford Bridge. The youngster's 6 ft 3 in frame makes him the ideal understudy to the former England international, who signed a one year contract extension at the club last month.

Chelsea's efforts to retain Zouma have been reinforced by the club's decision to allow Tomas Kalas to leave the club, joining Cologne on a season long loan deal. The 21-year-old was handed his Premier League debut in last season's 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield, where he impressively filled the void left by Terry who was ruled out through injury.

Kalas joins Cologne who have returned to the Bundesliga from the second tier of German football.