Where Wilfried Zaha could end up if he does FINALLY leave Palace
Finally landing a dream Arsenal switch, will bitter rivals Tottenham make their move with Antonio Conte at the helm… or does a Borussia Dortmund deal open up if they sell Jadon Sancho? Where Wilfried Zaha could go if he does FINALLY leave Crystal Palace
- Wilfried Zaha yet again reaffirmed his desire to leave Crystal Palace this summer
- And the Eagles are open to selling their winger, who has shone at Selhurst Park
- Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham have been linked with Zaha in the past
- Will he stay in England, or will a move abroad open up? Sportsmail takes a look
It seems like Groundhog Day for Wilfried Zaha and Crystal Palace after the winger once again reaffirmed his desire to leave Selhurst Park this summer.
Zaha has looked for a move away for years now in his bid to compete on the biggest stage and prove that he can make it at a top club following his Manchester United nightmare, but the Eagles have always held firm over their star winger.
It is reaching last chance saloon for Zaha to get his big move, and he may just seal it now with Palace open to selling their 28-year-old. Having been priced out of a transfer previously, an offer in excess of £30m or cash-plus-player deal could be enough to tempt the club to sell.
Wilfried Zaha may finally be on the move from Crystal Palace, but where could he end up?
In 11 seasons at Palace split over two spells, the Ivory Coast international has made almost 400 appearances – scoring 68 goals and racking up 72 assists, while inspiring the club back into the Premier League in 2013.
If he does eventually part ways with Palace, it will be an emotional goodbye for Zaha following his incredible years of service for the club.
And with a move potentially on the horizon, Sportsmail has decided to take a look at where he could end up playing his football next season…
ARSENAL
Zaha’s prolonged transfer saga with Arsenal is one of the worst kept secrets in football.
The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with a big-money transfer to Arsenal down the years, and nearly got his dream move to the club he supported in 2019.
The Gunners were once again in hot pursuit of Zaha in the 2019 summer transfer window but Palace wouldn’t balk over their £80million valuation of their player – who was their go-to man at the time.
And with the Gunners put off by that hefty price tag, they decided to sign Nicolas Pepe instead in a £72m deal – paying an initial £20m upfront with the remaining £52m spread over the next five years due to their financial constraints at the time.
Following the collapse of the move to north London, Zaha revealed that he had earlier held talks with then Arsenal boss Unai Emery about a potential transfer.
Speaking on Jamie Carragher’s The Greatest Game Podcast in January, Zaha revealed: ‘I had a conversation with the manager. [Unai] Emery was just like, “We don’t really need to go through much”.
Zaha was close to signing for Arsenal in 2019 but the Gunners opted for Nicolas Pepe instead, and the ship looks to have sailed now
‘He said he’d seen me play, he knows I can change games at any time and stuff like that. He was like, “Yeah we’d love to have you” and I was just like, “Yeah I’d love to come”.
‘The conversation was rather straightforward because I played against him when he was manager of Arsenal. He saw what I could do, saw my work-rate, and what I could add to the team. Obviously, it was up to the club who they chose and they chose Pepe over me.’
So will a move to Arsenal finally come to fruition for Zaha this time round? It’s unlikely.
Given that Pepe enjoyed his best season to date for the club, and following the incredible emergence of Bukayo Saka and Co, a winger is not viewed as a priority position.
Following a nightmare campaign in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta is set to prioritise a midfielder, a right back, a goalkeeper and perhaps a new centre forward and centre back.
TOTTENHAM
There is some uncertainty at Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham at the moment as they look to finalise the appointment of their next manager.
Antonio Conte appears close to becoming the next manager at Spurs, and an intriguing story has emerged that former Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici could come in as the club’s technical director too.
The 48-year-old is the man who brought Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo to Turin as well as several eye-raising purchases that didn’t cost a penny.
And alongside Conte, with the pair having worked together at Juventus, they could potentially make a move for Zaha this summer.
Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham have recently been linked with the Palace winger
Recent reports claimed that Tottenham were monitoring Zaha’s situation at Selhurst Park and now following Palace’s open-mindedness about his future, a move could be on the cards.
Spurs still have the likes of Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura on their flanks but the departure of Gareth Bale following the end of his loan move from Real Madrid may mean the club want an extra winger in their squad.
Furthermore, if talisman Harry Kane does leave this summer, Tottenham may be more tempted to swoop for Zaha, especially as he could well be available for just over £30m.
But it all depends on the ambitions of their new manager. If Conte does come in, he will for sure want to know that he will have the money to spend, and Zaha may just suit his counter-attacking system.
EVERTON
Another club mired in uncertainty right now are Everton, who are still in a state of shock following Carlo Ancelotti’s sudden departure to his former club Real Madrid.
The likes of David Moyes, Nuno Espirito Santo and Andrea Pirlo have all been linked with the Goodison Park vacancy but it is not yet known who will take over.
However, regardless of who comes in, Everton will surely be in the hunt for wantaway Palace star Zaha having pursued him already.
Everton first showed real interest in Zaha in the summer of 2019 as they looked to win the race for his services over Arsenal.
The Toffees made two formal offers but both were rejected by Palace as they wanted at least £80m for their star winger.
Everton have been long-term admirers of Zaha, but he may hold out for a slightly bigger move
However, their interest in Zaha has not faded, and will be dreaming that they can secure a deal for him on the cheap this time round as he desperately searches for a move away from south London.
But given Everton endured a torrid end to the campaign, finishing 10th in the Premier League having harboured European ambitions earlier on in the season, they could miss out on Zaha.
Zaha has said time and time again he wants to be competing on the biggest stage in Europe, so would he fulfil that dream one day with Everton? It’s unlikely unless there is a drastic improvement at Goodison Park.
While Tottenham themselves only placed a lowly seventh – securing a Europa Conference League spot – Zaha may view them as a more attractive proposition given their recent European adventures and strength in depth of the squad.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Could Zaha be tempted by a move abroad? If so, it would certainly be an intriguing prospect.
Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund have been linked with Zaha in the past, and they may well just reignite their interest in the Palace winger this summer.
You’d imagine Dortmund making a move for Zaha would hinge on whether they finally sell Jadon Sancho to Manchester United.
Reports claim United are increasingly confident of finally signing Sancho for a fee of almost £100m, which would mean Dortmund would have plenty of money to spend in the upcoming transfer window.
Borussia Dortmund could pursue Zaha if Jadon Sancho (right) leaves for Manchester United
And Zaha certainly fits the bill as a direct replacement for the England international at the Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund like to press from the front and kill teams on the counter, and Zaha could thrive in that system thanks to his pace and trickery on the ball.
And considering none of the three clubs above have Champions League or even Europa League football to enjoy next season, maybe a move to Dortmund would excite Zaha the most.
He wants to play in the Champions League, and Dortmund can offer him that next season after finishing third in the Bundesliga.
It’s game on for his signature…
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