151-game Chelsea man could debut for London rival on Saturday

Thomas Tuchel’s push to secure a third league title of his career looks promising after two weeks of the new season, but the German will face a huge test next. 

The former Paris Saint-Germain manager, who won the Ligue 1 title twice while in the French capital, will go head to head with Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side at Anfield on Saturday, in what promises to be arguably the most challenging test that the Blues will face all season.

Both sides are two wins from two games so far this season, and the match on Saturday could go a long way towards determining where the Premier League trophy ends up in May.

In the meantime, however, there is the small matter of the final week of the transfer window.

The summer window, which will go down as one of the most memorable in history after the transfer of Lionel Messi to PSG, slams shut on August 31.

Before then, it appears that Tuchel could be about to lose one of his defenders, to a rival.

That’s according to The Sun, who claim that West Ham United have made progress in their pursuit of Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma.

The report states that a fee has been agreed between the two London clubs for the Frenchman, who is now in the final stages of agreeing personal terms with the Hammers.

The UEFA Super Cup victory over Villarreal may have been Zouma’s final Chelsea appearance.

It is also suggested that West Ham boss David Moyes is hopeful of having Zouma in his squad for the visit of Crystal Palace this weekend.

The 26-year-old had been made available by Tuchel after falling behind Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and his departure could trigger a move for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde.

Hammers boss Moyes, meanwhile, was keen to acquire an experienced top-level defender to boost his squad depth ahead of what promises to be a gruelling season.

The East London side will compete in the Europa League, as well as the Premier League and domestic cups, after their impressive sixth-placed finish last term.

This season they have also started brightly, sitting top of the table after two game weeks having beaten both Newcastle United and Leicester City.