Crystal Palace in scramble to tie down Arsenal target Zaha

FT Desk

8 Sept 2022 11:26 BST
3 min read

Wilfried Zaha drops Crystal Palace exit hint — © ProShots

Wilfried Zaha is entering the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, and Crystal Palace are desperate to tie down their star winger amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

Article continues under the video

Zaha grew up an Arsenal fan while Chelsea spent more money on transfers than anybody else under Todd Boehly this summer. But neither London club made a bit that satisfied Crystal Palace.

Instead Zaha has started his 15th season in total with the Eagles, and he has hit the ground running for Patrick Vieira's side, scoring four goals in five Premier League games so far.

Patrick Vieira has ruled out an Arsenal move for Wilfried Zaha this summer 👊 pic.twitter.com/STRMALui9Q
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) April 9, 2022

Pressed on his future recently, the Ivory Coast international was calm.

"It's not been difficult at all," he said. "I've just been focused on Palace in every game. I've gone to training and I've enjoyed it.

"We've got a massive understanding, everyone understands me. It's different, it's like a family here.

Zaha: 'team all I'm thinking about'

"I'm happy to be scoring goals but the team is all I'm thinking about."

A new contract has not yet followed those worse, though, and Palace are aware of the fact that he could leave on a free next summer, with non-English clubs able to negotiate with him from January.

Zaha is a Palace academy graduate who made 143 appearances for the club before leaving for Manchester United in a £15m/€17.2m deal in 2013.

His time at Old Trafford didn't work out, though, and after just four senior appearances he was allowed to return to Palace, initially on loan, before making that permanent in 2015.

Now one of the most explosive performers in the Premier League, Zaha has earned another shot at a Europe-chasing club, but he could yet stay in the family environment he has called home for much of his career.

At 29, this could be his last chance to get a bumper contract somewhere else, however.