Zouma leaves West Ham for loan to Saudi club

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah on loan on Saturday just weeks after a transfer to the United Arab Emirates collapsed.

The 29-year-old Frenchman made 103 appearances after joining the Hammers from Chelsea in a £29 million ($38 million) deal in 2021 but attracted widespread criticism in 2022 when a video emerged of him kicking and slapping his pet cat, for which he was sentenced to 180 hours of community service.

Zouma, who had a year left on his contract, went on to captain West Ham last season after Declan Rice left for Arsenal.

The Premier League transfer deadline was on Friday but the Saudi league window stays open until September 7.

Zouma agreed a move to Dubai-based Shabab Al-Ahli in the UAE earlier this summer but the move fell apart after he failed a medical.

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