Chelsea could include ‘unhappy’ star in Zaha swap deal

Rodgers comments on Chelsea's interest in Fofana

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Chelsea are reportedly considering a swap deal for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha before the transfer window closes. And the Blues may have the perfect player to exchange which, if the deal can be pushed through in time, would ultimately benefit all parties involved.

Thomas Tuchel is a fan of the Ivory Coast winger, who has already struck four goals in the Premier League this season in as many appearances, including a goal against Brentford on Tuesday. But there is a feeling within Selhurst Park that it could have been his final game in a Palace shirt.

His contract is set to expire in just 10 months’ time and with no extension on the horizon for the 29-year-old, it appears that Chelsea could swoop for a cut-price fee as the clubs are in talks, according to 90min.

Palace made a concerted effort to keep Zaha last summer and demanded around £80m for their star player last summer, with no clubs interested in signing the forward for such a price. But with his contract running down, Chelsea know that the ball is in their court.

The issue for the Blues is that the South London outfit may insist on finding a replacement first, which may prove difficult to do with just one day left of the transfer window. But with one member of their squad, Christian Pulisic, yearning for a move away from west London, Tuchel may decide to allow the American to leave – by using him in a straight swap for Zaha.

The 23-year-old has been left on the bench for all four of the Blues’ opening fixtures of the season and was only handed 25 minutes to impress in their defeat against Southampton. It is understood Pulisic is unhappy at not being given the chance to leave on loan in the transfer window, with Tuchel instead selling Timo Werner and loaning out Callum Hudson-Odoi.

There is no chance of Pulisic missing out on the USA’s World Cup squad later this year if he is fit, but head coach Gregg Berhalter wants him to be playing regularly given his importance to the team. However, Pulisic is only likely to be used as an impact player under Tuchel, giving the winger a dilemma to solve before the window shuts.

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Chelsea’s pursuit of Zaha would surely be the final straw for Pulisic as it would further reduce his game time. And while Manchester United and Newcastle have been linked with a transfer in the transfer window, no deal has materialised.

A short trip across London to Palace, however, would be minimal in terms of disrupting Pulisic’s daily life and would give him a better chance of getting first-team football.

It should be stated that is no suggestion that Palace have registered their interest in Pulisic, but Patrick Vieira may be resigned to losing Zaha without getting an experienced player in before he leaves. And if he cannot get Conor Gallagher back, the opportunity to sign a player of Pulisic’s experience should not be passed up if given the opportunity.

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