Everton to miss out on signing Chelsea defender

Everton are reportedly facing a difficult challenge of signing Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis from Chelsea at the end of the campaign.

The Frenchman joined the Toffees on a season-long loan at the beginning of the season and he has impressed through the campaign with 35 appearances in all competitions.

As such, the Merseyside outfit are said to be keen on pursuing a permanent move for his services this summer but The Liverpool Echo claims that their chances of doing so remain slim.

Chelsea are currently under a ban for the next two transfer windows and it is suggested that Zouma is likely to stay put with the club unless the club manage to lift the embargo imposed by FIFA.

The Blues have already confirmed that club-captain Gary Cahill will be leaving the club when his contract expires in the summer and Zouma could emerge as the ideal fit to replace the Englishman in their ranks.