PSG among five European giants looking to exploit pre-contract rule amid Arsenal interest in Zaha
Wilfried Zaha is attracting interest from three French and two German clubs with his Crystal Palace contract set to expire next summer.
A chance to play abroad could be appealing for the Ivory Coast international after spending the entirety of his career playing in England.
After graduating from the Palace academy, he joined Manchester United for around £10million – but the transfer did not work out.
Six months into his Red Devils career, Zaha was loaned out to Cardiff City before re-joining the Eagles on loan for 2014-15.
Palace made his move permanent in the winter transfer window, spending a measly £2.5m on their former player.
Since then, he has broken all sorts of records for the London club and is regarded as one of their best players of all time, if not the best.
You do get the feeling that Zaha would like another crack at a big club after his failed stint at Old Trafford.
The 30-year-old only played four times for United’s first team and has 443 appearances for Palace.
While a move to a big club could yet be on the cards – mainly due to his contract situation – many believe that window of opportunity has passed.
Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea have all been strongly linked with the experienced winger in recent transfer windows.
The Gunners more so than anyone, though manager Mikel Arteta has adopted a philosophy of signing young players.
With Zaha turning 30 last month, it is unclear whether or not the Spaniard would be keen on signing him, though a free transfer could be very tempting.
Chelsea may reignite their interest in the winter transfer window, though it is believed that they have prioritised the signings of Christopher Nkunku and Rafael Leao.
With that being said, foreign clubs hold a great advantage over Premier League clubs in the race to sign Zaha. They can agree and negotiate a pre-contract deal.
From January 1, any side from outside England can sign Zaha on a pre-contract arrangement following the expiry of his Palace contract in the summer of 2023.
And according to 90min, there are a number of foreign clubs interested in doing just that.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are one of three Ligue 1 sides said to be keen.
They obviously have Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at the club right now, though Messi’s contract is also up next year and he is widely expected to join MLS club Inter Miami.
PSG’s league rivals Marseille and AS Monaco are also interested in signing Zaha on a free transfer.
It is noted that talks between Palace and the player are not progressing, meaning he is likely to leave for nothing next summer.
The 30-year-old is ‘considering’ the chance to play in a foreign league for the first time, and a move to PSG could be absolutely spectacular for him.
The Parisiens will be a shoo-in for the Ligue 1 title every single year until he hangs up his boots, at the very least, and will always be in contention to compete in the Champions League.
Furthermore, Messi’s likely exit could mean the Ivorian will be a consistent starter up top alongside Mbappe and Neymar – unless the French club spend big in the transfer market.
Arsenal and Chelsea’s interest is mentioned, though if either were to sign Zaha, you would expect it to have been done by now.
As well as the French trio, the report adds that Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are interested.
They are two more clubs that will be able to offer Zaha Champions League football and he also has a strong chance of regular first-team football for both Bundesliga sides.
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