Chelsea will reportedly need to pay around £25-30 million for Crystal Palace talisman, Wilfried Zaha, who is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has written in his column for Caught Offside that Crystal Palace could be prepared to sell talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha for a discounted fee in the region of £25-30 million this summer, amid growing interest from Chelsea.
Wilfried Zaha has emerged as a potential target for Thomas Tuchel as the Blues weigh up their options in attack amid interest in Cristiano Ronaldo, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jamie Vardy, and other attackers across Europe.
Zaha, for one, has spent most of his footballing career at Crystal Palace, featuring in over 400 games for the Eagles across two different spells, scoring 83 goals and registering 73 assists along the way. The Ivory Coast international had another productive season for Patrick Vieira’s side last term, netting 14 Premier League goals.
The 29-year-old has been linked with moves to top Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, in the past. But Zaha has stayed put every time, with a disastrous spell with Manchester United remaining his only tryst with a ‘Big Six’ club.
However, Zaha’s current deal at Selhurst Park expires in 2023, which puts the Eagles in a tricky position over his future. The 29-year-old could leave as a free agent at the end of the season, so Crystal Palace could be open to recoup a fee for their prized winger if they cannot get him to pen fresh terms with them.
Zaha was briefly a top target for AS Roma earlier this summer, but they appear to have stepped away after signing Paulo Dybala in a high-profile move. It is now rumoured that he is keen to push for a late transfer to Chelsea. Earlier this week, it was reported that his agent was encouraging the Blues to make a summer swoop for him.
Zaha remains eager to prove his mettle at a top club, and this could be his last opportunity to shine at a UEFA Champions League-level club. In a further boost, Fabrizio Romano, via Caught Offside, has revealed that the winger could be sold for a reduced price of around £25-30 million if Chelsea follow through with their initial interest.
With Timo Werner on the verge of re-joining his former club RB Leipzig, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is linked with a loan move to Borussia Dortmund, which could convince Chelsea to dip into the market for another new winger. And Zaha fits the bill perfectly. He is dynamic, explosively direct, creative, and relatively clinical in the attacking third.
He is also someone who would not have to adjust to a new league or surroundings. That is why Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling are so appealing to Chelsea. A fee of £25-30 million is quite reasonable for a player of his calibre. At 29, Zaha is in his prime and is coming off his best season in the top flight. Whether the Blues will firm up their interest in Zaha in the coming days remains to be seen.
