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Zouma joined the Blues from Saint Etienne in January in a £12m deal before being loaned back to the club for the remainder of the campaign.

He is now set to join up with his Chelsea team-mates for the first time at pre-season training.

After David Luiz's £50m switch to PSG earlier this summer, Chelsea are on the lookout for someone to fill the void in central defence.

However, Jose Mourinho does not consider the 19-year-old to be ready for first-team action at Stamford Bridge, and is keen to loan him out.

Reports this evening suggest Monaco are set to pip Sunderland to a deal as they prepare for Champions League football.

That option would appeal to Chelsea, as they look to replicate the deal that saw goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois star in the competition with Atletico Madrid.

Courtois is now back at his parent club and is set to rival Petr Cech for the No.1 spot.

Captain John Terry and Gary Cahill are Mourinho's first-choice pair at the back, but the ex-England skipper Terry is in the twighlight of his career, and the Portuguese boss is keen to bring through a long-term successor for the one-club man.