Wilfried Zaha is coming home – with Premier League clubs on standby for a cut-price deal on the Galatasaray star.
The Turkish champions, who signed the winger on a free from Crystal Palace just 12 months ago, can no longer afford his weekly £300,000 salary. And their representatives have informed Palace – along with the rest of the English elite – they are willing to off-load Zaha this summer for a bargain ‘nominal’ fee.
The Ivory Coast international 31, actually had a reasonable first season in Turkey, performing well in the Champions League and scoring nine goals in the club’s romp to the domestic title. But Galatasaray are in desperate need to slash their wage bill and have decided to dispense with top-earner Zaha.
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He will have to accept a significant drop in present salary to secure a transfer back to the English top flight. One solution is he negotiates a significant pay-off from Galatasaray, who in turn agree to let him leave on a free.
That would make Zaha, who has been prone to injury during his career, a far more attractive option to potential suitors – with Palace, West Ham and Wolves all interested. If he was to return to first club Palace, it would make it three separate spells at Selhurst Park for the flair forward.
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Zaha rose through the South Londoners’ ranks before a permanent £15million switch to Manchester United in 2013. Originally signed by Sir Alex Ferguson, his situation at Old Trafford soon turned sour under successor David Moyes. Zaha barely figured during the Scot’s brief reign.
He went on loan to Cardiff and then Palace before the Eagles bought him back for good in February 2015. During the next eight years, he made 264 league appearances, rattling in 67 goals and becoming the Eagles’ record goalscorer in the process.
Whether current Palace coach Oliver Glasner fancies working with the Selhurst legend remains to be seen. But with Bayern Munich-target Michael Olise on his way and England winger Eberechi Eze interesting Manchester United and Arsenal, acquiring Zaha once more would boost morale among the supporters.