West Ham defender Kurt Zouma, centre, will not be joining Shabab Al Ahli after he failed a medical. PA
West Ham defender Kurt Zouma, centre, will not be joining Shabab Al Ahli after he failed a medical. PA

Kurt Zouma's move to Shabab Al Ahli from West Ham collapses after failed medical



Kurt Zouma's proposed move to Adnoc Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli has collapsed after the French defender failed a medical, according to several reports.

Zouma, who has one year remaining on his contract with Premier League side West Ham United, was expected to complete a free transfer switch to Shabab Al Ahli and travelled to Dubai to complete the formalities. However, the 29-year-old centre-back has failed the medical, leading to the move being called off.

Zouma has had his fitness problems over the years, ever since tearing his cruciate ligament in February 2016, which sidelined him for more than nine months. Over the past three seasons, he suffered two separate hamstring injuries and another knee injury that kept him out of action for a combined four-and-a-half months.

The collapsed deal leaves West Ham in a difficult position having spent nearly £75 million ($95.85m) on new central defenders this summer; Wolves captain Max Kilman was signed for £40m last month and has been joined at the London Stadium by Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice on a loan deal that includes a £40m (£34.22m) obligation to buy.

Zouma has been at West Ham since 2021, when he arrived from Chelsea for £29.8m, and became a key player for the Hammers. Following the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal last summer, the Frenchman was appointed club captain and played 39 games across competitions during the 2023/24 season.

Despite Zouma's importance to the team, West Ham are keen to offload one of their highest earners as new manager Julen Lopetegui begins shaping the squad in his own image.

The failed move is also a blow to Shabab Al Ahli, who would have viewed Zouma's ability, experience and leadership as a massive boost to their squad ahead of their bid to win back the Pro League title. The Dubai club won the league in 2022/23 but had to settle for runner-up last season behind a rampant Al Wasl side.

Zouma, who joined Chelsea in 2014 age 19, has made 247 Premier League appearances, winning two league titles, the League Cup, and the 2021 Uefa Champions League with the Blues. He then helped West Ham win their first European title in 58 years when they won the Europa Conference League in 2022.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives. 

The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast. 

As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau

He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker. 

If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah

 

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
BIG SPENDERS

Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Emiratisation at work

Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago

It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.

Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers

The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension

President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.

During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development

More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics

The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens

UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere

The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Updated: August 13, 2024, 6:16 AM