Exclusive – Zouma – It’s on!

City have lodged an £11m offer for St Etienne central defender Kurt Zouma in the last fortnight.

We have recently been linked with a number of defenders, most notably, Porto’s pair of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi.

But talks with Zouma’s club and his camp are now well underway and City are hoping a deal can be thrashed out before Christmas.

AC Milan have also registered an interest in the powerful 19-year-old, but the starlet has quickly indicated a preference to playing his football in England.

It all sounds very positive at this stage, although the only black mark against Zouma is his current ten-game ban for a leg-breaking challenge on Sochaux midfielder Thomas Guerbert last week.

Ironically, it would mean Zouma can’t play again until the January window closes.

Zouma’s agents have rocked City with personal demands of £100,000 a week, but it’s understood a compromise package has already been submitted.