Everton have opened talks with Chelsea about signing Kurt Zouma on a permanent deal having agreed the £22million transfer of Andre Gomes from Barcelona.

Zouma and Gomes were key players on loan for Marco Silva last season and the manager has made it clear to Everton that he wants them both to sign long-term contracts.

With Gomes understood to have agreed a four-year contract Everton will turn to Zouma who is due to return to Chelsea as things stand with his season-long loan having expired.

Everton hope that the two-window transfer ban at Chelsea will not prevent them from considering the sale of the central defender. They have told the 24-year-old that they want to sign him although the French international will not come cheap.

It remains to be seen how Chelsea react given David Luiz has signed a new contract at the club. Antonio Rudiger will possibly miss the start of next season due to a knee injury and Gary Cahill has left, after his contract expired. There is also Andreas Christensen and Ethan Ampadu, and Fikayo Tomori who has been on loan at Derby County under Frank Lampard who is expected to be Chelsea’s new manager. Even so, the club may feel they are left short in the centre of defence.