Although the arrival of the Frenchman, who boasts an impressive list of achievements, was hailed as a major coup by owner Ioan Varga, the reality on the pitch fell far short of expectations. The central defender’s stint in Romania proved very lucrative for him, but not so much for the club.
According to fanatik.ro, Zouma leaves Gruia with all his wages paid in full, and also receives a compensation package for agreeing to the split.
With a monthly salary of 50,000 euros, the French international earned around 250,000 euros during his four months with the Transylvanian side.
"The club CFR 1907 Cluj and defender Kurt Zouma have reached an agreement to end their collaboration. We wish him every success in the next stage of his career and thank him for his efforts with our team!" announced the CFR Cluj management on Facebook.
Modest numbers for a former European champion
Even though his CV features giants like Chelsea, Everton, and West Ham United, as well as major trophies like the Champions League, Premier League, and UEFA Super Cup, Zouma’s fitness let him down in the SuperLigă.
Plagued by injuries, the defender played only four official matches, totaling just 197 minutes on the pitch. His last appearance in the Cheminots’ shirt left a bitter taste for the fans.
On October 31, during the derby against Dinamo at the Arena Națională, Zouma came on when CFR were leading 1-0. But the ending was disastrous: the “Red Dogs” turned the game around in stoppage time and won 2-1.
In addition, the Frenchman also played a few minutes in the draw against UTA, the defeat to Petrolul, and a convincing Cup win over Slatina.
From a 35-million-euro valuation to a premature end in Romania
Zouma’s decline is clear when looking back a few years. In October 2019, while at Chelsea, the defender reached the peak of his career, being valued at 35 million euros by specialist sites.
At 25, he seemed to be one of the best centre-backs in Europe, but recurring medical issues have since hampered his progress.