In the video, the defender is seen slapping the animal and drop-kicking it. The clips have been met with widespread condemnation from the sporting world and various animal charities, with Zouma issuing a swift apology in the wake of the content surfacing yesterday.

Despite the controversy, David Moyes still chose to pick the centre back for the game at home to Watford, stating he himself was an “animal lover” and that the decision was made for footballing reasons. Zouma was roundly booed and even the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has criticised the decision to field the Frenchman.

Now, Mail Online claims that Zouma isn’t out of the woods yet over the controversy – and could yet be prosecuted.

A legal complaint has been said to be filed against Zouma back in Paris, with lawyers working for the 30 Million Friends Foundation (La Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis), the largest animal-rights group in France, contacting prosecutors. A spokesman for the foundation said: “We condemn this heinous act, have asked that the player be suspended from the France team, and filed a legal complaint against him.”

According to article 113-6 of the French penal code, French citizens can be prosecuted for criminal acts carried out abroad. In 2021, France introduced new laws meaning that animal mistreatment can be punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of £50,000.

West Ham condemned Zouma’s actions yesterday.

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The France centre-half, 26, has agreed a four-year contract after joining for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £25million.

“I’m very happy and very proud,” Zouma told West Ham TV.

“My conversation with the manager went very fast. I just felt like he really wanted me to come and join the team, especially a good team that’s started the season very, very well.

“With the great season that West Ham had last year, that gave the team a lot of confidence to improve this year – and I want to help the team do that.”

Zouma won two Premier League titles and a Champions League winners’ medal with the Blues and brings the experience Hammers boss David Moyes was looking for to strengthen his defence.

West Ham may be top of the early-season table but they have conceded five goals in their three matches so far after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

Moyes was also desperate to add to his squad with the added burden of a Europa League campaign this season.

Moyes said: “I am delighted to welcome Kurt to West Ham United. He is a player we have tracked for some time, and we have taken great care and diligence to make the transfer happen. He was always our first choice and I am very happy that he is now our player.

“Kurt will join a squad full of players who are hungry and ambitious. He will provide competition to our squad. He is a strong, powerful player with great experience in the Premier League while he is also at a good age for a centre-back.

“Kurt has enjoyed great success at Chelsea and I can see that he is determined to continue being successful here at the London Stadium.”

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The Sevilla centre back was previously linked with a move to Manchester United, who are instead pursuing Raphael Varane.

Chelsea now appear to be at the front of the queue to sign the Frenchman, who was impressive in LaLiga last term.

Thomas Tuchel wants to bolster his defensive options ahead of his first full season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in May and will now be targeting a Premier League title tilt.

According to The Athletic, the Blues are preparing a player-plus-cash offer for Kounde.

The 22-year-old has a £68-million release clause in his current contract, and Chelsea are trying to lower that fee by offering players in exchange.

Sevilla rejected the chance to sign Emerson Palmieri, so the Blues will now offer Kurt Zouma to the Spanish side.

West Ham have also shown an interest in Zouma, who is settled in London and might be keen to stay in the Premier League.

But even if Sevilla reject the centre back, that will not derail Chelsea’s attempts to acquire Kounde.

The European champions have been tracking the defender for two years and are determined to land him this summer.

Kounde would also be keen on a move to west London, but Chelsea must first agree terms with Sevilla.

Much of the focus in recent weeks has been on the Blues’ attempts to sign a new striker, which has seen them pursue Romelu Lukaku, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

It is not hard to see why Chelsea want to add another player to their pool of centre backs, though.

Thiago Silva turns 37 in September, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are out of contract next summer, and Zouma appears to be expendable.

It would certainly not be a surprise to see Kounde at Stamford Bridge by the time the window closes.

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The Moroccan winger scored on his first start for the club in midweek, a 4-0 romp at FC Krasnodar, and fired again as he held his starting spot against the Clarets.

Ziyech opened the scoring with a crisp drive in the first half as Frank Lampard’s men swarmed the hosts, and provided the assist for Timo Werner when Chelsea rounded out the scoring later on.

In between, Kurt Zouma sucked the life out of a potential fightback when he powered home a Mason Mount corner.

While a third win of the season propelled Chelsea into the top four, temporarily at least, Burnley remain anchored at the wrong end of the table with just one point from six games.

Chelsea were forced into a hasty change of personnel just before kick-off, Christian Pulisic pulling up in the warm-ups. Werner was duly promoted from bench duty, with a second goalkeeper, youngster Karlo Ziger, added to the replacements.

Pulisic had scored a hat-trick on his previous visit here almost exactly a year ago, but the visitors had no shortage of attacking talent at their disposal, with Tammy Abraham back to lead the line with Werner and Ziyech either side while Kai Havertz and Mount pushed up from midfield.

That left N’Golo Kante a slightly solitary screening brief in front of the defence and Burnley took just five minutes to find a way through, Matt Lowton’s precise ball over the top putting Ashley Barnes one on one with Edouard Mendy.

The goalkeeper dashed out and Barnes snatched at what was a wonderful chance, lifting his shot high over the crossbar before being bundled over for his trouble.

Having digested their warning, Chelsea assumed full control for the remainder of the match. Full backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell made full use of the space out wide, delivering a series of dangerous balls into the box.

The pair might have combined for the opening goal but when Chilwell rose at the back post to meet James’ hanging cross, Josh Brownhill gave him a nudge in the back that went unpunished.

With Kante denying Burnley the chance to release pressure up the field it seemed certain the visitors would break the deadlock sooner rather than later. The moment arrived when Ziyech linked up with the storming James down the right, peeling back into the box and waiting on a smart lay-off from Abraham, who touched the ball back off his instep.

Ziyech struck first time and saw his low shot wrong-foot Nick Pope on its way over the line.

Chelsea worked away in pursuit of a second and would have had it just before the break had Kevin Long not slid in front of Werner at the back post.

Jay Rodriguez replaced Dale Stephens at half time as Burnley looked for a difference maker and they were instantly a livelier presence, Barnes and James Tarkowski both shooting wide as they found a way to test their opponents.

But their newfound energy was sapped in the 63rd minute, when Mount’s right-sided corner was met emphatically by the head of Zouma as three Claret shirts failed to address the danger. To be so soundly bested at a set piece must surely have hurt manager Sean Dyche.

Things got worse still with 20 minutes remaining, a misguided pass out from defence landing straight at the feet of James, who quickly fed Ziyech.

This time he settled for an assist, playing in Werner on the overlap, with the German striker stroking deftly across Pope and into the corner.

Substitute Olivier Giroud had a late effort scrubbed for offside but the result already told a fair story of a one-sided match.

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The England full back drilled home to put Chelsea ahead following a cagey, goalless first half, before laying on Kurt Zouma’s header.

Jorginho then stroked home two penalties in four minutes to seal a comfortable Chelsea win, their first home victory in the new league campaign.

Tammy Abraham tried to take the second of Chelsea’s two late penalties but was overruled by skipper Cesar Azpilicueta, who handed the ball to Jorginho.

The Italy midfielder had missed from the spot in Chelsea’s 2-0 home loss to Liverpool but delivered twice here, courtesy of his trademark skip-step run-up.

Chilwell showed exactly why Frank Lampard was so desperate to bring him to the Blues from Leicester in an impressive all-court performance.

The 23-year-old provided deadly set-piece delivery all day and kick-started the second-half goal glut with a fine finish.

Palace’s stifling tactics started well before kick-off, with the Eagles late out of the changing rooms to leave Chelsea’s quizzical players waving their arms in frustration.

Joel Ward got away with a sneaky elbow to Timo Werner’s face, with only the light contact letting the full back escape censure.

Chelsea dominated possession but again lacked the speed of passing or fluidity of movement to break down the extremely well-drilled visitors.

Kai Havertz’s class and time on the ball stood out, though, and the Germany playmaker’s ghosting run and pass laid on an inviting opening for Werner.

His national teammate raced on to the ball only to scuff an attempted whipped effort, leaving Vicente Guaita a facile claim.

Abraham’s smart run across the face of goal not only opened up space for Havertz, it also perhaps provided the better option for a threaded pass.

Jorginho blazed over after Thiago Silva’s neatly flicked header, and then Callum Hudson-Odoi overhit a potentially threatening ball designed for Chilwell.

The bullish N’Golo Kante drove through midfield and split the defence with a delicate through ball – only for Abraham and Werner to make the same run and fluff a fine opening.

Mamadou Sakho nodded wide from a Palace corner in the visitors’ sole chance of the half, and the teams duly reached the interval in deadlock.

The stalemate was lifted quickly after the restart, however, when Chilwell drilled home sweetly for the hosts.

Hudson-Odoi lost then recovered the ball in the Palace box and laid off to Azpilicueta, and his deflected shot lofted across the box.

Abraham muscled his way to a smart flick-on, allowing the onrushing Chilwell to blast into the net.

Chelsea should have doubled their lead minutes later, but the unmarked Zouma could only head wide from Chilwell’s inch-perfect corner.

Zouma quickly atoned for that glaring miss by nodding home another Chilwell cross however, easing personal and collective Chelsea frustrations as the hosts took control.

Abraham should have made it three when thumping a header after Hudson-Odoi had skinned Tyrick Mitchell and delivered a fine cross.

The England striker won a penalty shortly afterwards, though, drawing a foul from Mitchell.

Jorginho duly stepped up and converted in his typical calm fashion, leaving Chelsea in total control heading into the final stages.

Four minutes later Jorginho was hopping and skipping his way to another penalty goal, but only after Abraham had tried to swipe the spot kick.

Skipper Azpilicueta was having none of it, calmly removing the ball from Abraham’s grasp and handing it to Jorginho.

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The French defender, 23, signed for Chelsea in 2014 and had established himself as a regular in their team before suffering a serious knee injury in 2016.

He made just three Premier League starts in the following campaign and spent all of last season on loan with Stoke City before agreeing to join Everton for this term.

READ: Gundogan: ‘Mature’ City can win UCL

Zouma only signed a new deal with his parent club in 2017 and is determined to force his way back into the Chelsea first team when he returns to Stamford Bridge.

Smile as always 😁 @everton @LucasDigne @richarlison97 #lazoumance pic.twitter.com/vrjEWYziss

— Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) August 23, 2018

‘I will go back, yes,’ he told reporters.

‘I have always believed in myself since I started playing football at 16. I have always wanted to show myself at Chelsea since I have been there.

‘I know my injuries stopped me in the way I wanted to play but injuries are part of football and I want to show people I can come back and play there. That’s why I need some game time at Everton here because they are a good team.’

READ: Barcelona would be happy to have Pogba, says Pique

Zouma also revealed he was the one who had asked Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri for another loan spell away because he expected to have limited opportunities.

‘The manager arrived late and we didn’t know what was the plan of the club,’ he added.

‘At Chelsea, there were a lot of defenders. I knew I needed to play regularly so I didn’t want to stay on the bench and wait for my chance after two or three months, so that’s why I wanted to go.

ALSO READ: Mane eyes Champions League final return

‘I spoke with the manager and he agreed with me. I knew at Chelsea they had five central defenders already. He plays with four at the back, so there are only two who play. I didn’t want to wait and he completely agreed.’

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Zouma spent last season on loan at Stoke City, who were relegated to the Championship, after struggling for regular football during Chelsea’s 2016-17 Premier League title-winning campaign.

READ: Pogba, Shaw guide Man Utd to victory

The two-cap France defender had been expected to finalise a switch to Goodison Park before Thursday’s Premier League transfer deadline, but the move was not confirmed until a day later.

It marks another addition to Marco Silva’s defensive options after Yerry Mina arrived in a big-money move from Barcelona, with Ramiro Funest Mori and Ashley Williams having departed earlier in the close-season.

ALSO READ: Messi, Ronaldo, Salah and De Bruyne up for UCL awards

Everton were among the busier teams in the window, with Andre Gomes and Bernard also signing on deadline day, while Lucas Digne and Richarlison moved to Merseyside earlier in the window.

Zouma won Premier League and League Cup medals under Jose Mourinho in his debut season at Stamford Bridge in the 2014-15 campaign.

ALSO READ: Pogba happy at Manchester United, claims Mourinho

The powerful centre back made 23 league appearances the following term before he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which stunted his progress with the Blues.

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The 22-year-old centre-back was restricted to three Premier League starts for the champions last season after making his comeback from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Antonio Rudiger’s arrival from Roma earlier this month placed Zouma further down the pecking order at Chelsea and he will spend 2017-18 at the bet365 Stadium, although a long-term contract extension shows he remains in his parent club’s long-term plans.

‘It is fantastic Kurt has chosen to commit his future to Chelsea,’ said Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo.

‘He has shown his talent since joining us three years ago, and has returned from a serious injury with a fantastic attitude. Now he has the opportunity to play regularly in the Premier League and we will be monitoring his progress closely while he is at Stoke.’

Happy to announce that I have signed a new long term contract with @chelseafc & will be joining @stokecity on loan this season #SCFC pic.twitter.com/O5dvXRHQmx

— Kurt Zouma (@KurtZouma) July 21, 2017

Stoke boss Mark Hughes is apparently still keen on further defensive reinforcements, although he is reportedly facing competition from West Brom and Crystal Palace for the signature of Bruno Martins Indi.

Martins Indi impressed during a season-long loan spell with Stoke last term.

On Zouma, Hughes said: “Kurt is undoubtedly one of the most talented young defenders in the game, so naturally his arrival will enhance our playing squad for the forthcoming campaign.

‘We have prioritised adding further strength in depth to defensive positions this summer, and we have certainly done that by fending off any number of clubs who were all interested in taking Kurt on loan.

‘On his day he is one of the most impressive defenders in the league, and while injury, unfortunately, hampered his progress at Chelsea last season, we are certain that we can give him the platform to recapture the form he showed prior to his setback.’

– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za

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The 22-year-old has been out with a serious knee injury since last year February but the defender was given a boost when he was named in the starting line-up against Peterborough.

Zouma says he was delighted to have played the full 90 minutes after he overcame his long-term injury.

‘It was a proud moment, an amazing moment to be back and playing 90 minutes,’ Zouma told the Chelsea website.

‘I’m really happy because it was a long time I was out for and now I’m back at the Bridge with the lads.

The French defender praised the Blues medical team after helping the defender get back to match fitness.

‘I played four games for the development squad and in two of them, I played the full 90 minutes. I played one for 45 minutes and one for 60 minutes but that was a long time ago, two months ago,’ He added.

‘The medical staff have been brilliant with me, they did a great job and I thank them a lot. They were all behind me and they prepared me very well.’

Chelsea will be hoping to bounce back in the Premier League when they face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Kick-off has been scheduled for 19:30

Image: Chelsea website

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Promising young Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is hoping for a return to action by the end of the year.

The young French star suffered cruciate ligament damage back in February which has forced him out of the last three months of action this season.  The 21-year-old is also set to miss the European Championship, which France hosts.

While the centre-back’s recovery is ongoing, Zouma has confirmed it remains unclear when precisely he will be ready to take to the pitch once more.

‘I don’t know when I’ll be back out on the pitch but everything is going well,’ Zouma told The Sun.

‘I’m kicking the ball around a bit – I’m not in any pain and I feel good,’ he added.

Queried as to whether he could return before the end of the year, the player replied: ‘I hope so; I think I’ve got enough time to be ready. But I don’t have a precise date.’

Zouma managed 31 appearances for Chelsea this term before suffering his injury.

France, meanwhile, have been drawn alongside the likes of Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A.

Les Blues will open the tournament’s proceedings when they face Romania on June 10.

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