Arsenal and Chelsea have registered their interest to sign Wilfried Zaha, who could leave Crystal Palace as a free agent.
According to TEAMtalk, Wilfried Zaha is attracting serious interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. The London giants have registered their interest in the 30-year-old winger, whose contract with Premier League club Crystal Palace expires in six months.
Crystal Palace will remain keen to hold on to Wilfried Zaha, not only in January but beyond the summer. The 30-year-old winger’s contract expires in six months, and there are barely any updates to know whether he will prolong his career at Selhurst Park.
From a young age, Zaha dreamed of winning trophies and playing for the biggest clubs in England. His scintillating performances with Crystal Palace during his first spell earned a move to Manchester United, which barely lasted long.
He has made 443 senior appearances for Crystal Palace on either side of the ill-fated spell at Manchester United. While he remains a crucial player for Patrick Vieira’s side after another productive season with six goals, the Premier League club are in a pickle with his contract situation.
There is no shortage of interest from suitors for a player heading into the final phase of his contract. Zaha will consider proposals coming his way in January as he continues to harbour hopes of playing in the UEFA Champions League with the biggest clubs.
Zaha is known to admire Arsenal from a very young age. And Zaha came close to joining them back in 2019, but Palace’s demands scuppered any deal. The Gunners signed Nicolas Pepe in a club-record transfer, with the Ivorian since leaving the club on loan.
If Arsenal are to come up with an approach, it will prove challenging for the 30-year-old winger to turn it down. There is a real need for a new forward at the Emirates, with Mikel Arteta seeking a new wide man and a striker.
Strikingly, Zaha can accommodate in either role, but he has excelled in a wide role at Palace. The injury to Gabriel Jesus has forced Arsenal to rethink their strategy, and they have players like Memphis Depay on their radar. There is a belief that Arteta wants Mykhaylo Mudryk on priority in the wide-forward role. But his price tag may prove problematic.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also retained their interest from the summer. The Blues reportedly attempted through various enquiries before deadline day but may have pulled back knowing what Crystal Palace wanted in return. The Blues are still looking for attacking talents, and a deal for Zaha could let them save money and bring in an experienced attacker on board.
Zaha only has a Community Shield to show for in his trophy collection and may be tempted to join one of the biggest London sides. Staying put in the city will also mean a lot to the winger. Palace might attempt to extend his contract, and if Zaha refuses, their hands will be tied.
