Crystal Palace ‘confident’ 30-year-old will snub CL football to ‘agree’ contract after Saudi ‘proposal’
Crystal Palace reportedly feel ‘quietly confident’ they will keep hold of club legend Wilfried Zaha, whose contract at Selhurst Park expired earlier this month.
Now entering their tenth consecutive season in the Premier League, the Eagles owe a lot of their success to Zaha, who has helped the south London club become a stable top-flight outfit.
The 30-year-old has scored 90 goals and provided 76 assists in 458 appearances for his boyhood club.
He did join Manchester United in 2013 but failed to impress, rejoining Palace on loan a year later before making his return permanent for a measly £2.5million in February 2015.
Eight years later, Zaha is a free agent as he weighs up his options for the new season.
Unsurprisingly, there is plenty of interest in the winger, who has been linked with Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Ettifaq. The latter are now managed by ex-Aston Villa boss and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
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It has been suggested that Zaha is eager to play in the Champions League and a move to Lazio has been mooted, though it has gone a bit quiet on that front.
The Ivorian international has never experienced continental football in his career, which makes you think he will not return to Palace.
You may well end up with egg on your face if you believe there is no chance of this happening, however.
According to The Telegraph, Roy Hodgson’s side are now ‘confident’ they will agree a new deal with Zaha.
The report says the experienced forward ‘could well return to Selhurst Park’ after ‘raising hopes of agreeing a new contract’.
It is claimed Al-Ettifaq are one of the Saudi clubs to ‘make a proposal’ to sign Zaha after Lazio ‘showed an interest’.
The player’s wage demands are expected to be in the region of £200,000 per week, which would be astronomical money for Palace to pay a player.
Should Zaha commit his future to Palace, Hodgson’s side would head into the Premier League season on a massive high.
They have already completed the signing of Jefferson Lerma, who was available for free following the expiry of his Bournemouth contract.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure, who is apparently valued between £70-80million by his club.
The Reds are in the market for a new midfielder and could sign two with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both expected to leave.
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