For Crystal Palace fans, the opening day of the summer transfer window is typically synonymous with speculation over the future of club talisman Wilfried Zaha – and this window is now no exception.
According to a detailed report from Sky Sports, the technically-gifted winger is subject to interest from a host of European footballing giants – namely Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and Monaco.
The interest from these clubs is in stark contrast to the previous window, within which it was domestic clubs – Arsenal and Everton – that formed the nuclei of interest in the Ivorian international star.
Both clubs attempted to sign Zaha last summer but had their interest dampened by a £80 million asking price from Crystal Palace. However, given Zaha’s desire to leave the club in conjunction with the financial impacts of the pandemic, the global transfer system appears to be a buyer’s market.
Consequentially, the same report declares that the club are willing to let Zaha leave if a reasonable fee can be agreed. It does not state or estimate what this figure could be, but it will certainly be unlikely to be anything close to the previous £80 million figure of the previous window.
In a July post-match interview, Palace manager Roy Hodgson made some frank remarks that opened the door to further speculation regarding Zaha’s future:
“It’s a dilemma for the club and a dilemma for him if he is so set on leaving,” Hodgson said. “If he feels he just does not want to be with us anymore, that would be sad.”
“We still like him very much, we can’t make him like us. This is a situation that only he and the club can sort out. I don’t have an answer.”
Zaha still has three years left on his Palace contract after signing a long-term deal at the start of the 2018/19 season. It is also suggested that Zaha would ideally like to leave to play for a club in the Champions League – a competition that PSG and Dortmund have qualified for.
Moreover, uncertainty over the futures of Neymar and Jadon Sancho may have prompted a transfer merry-go-round, with PSG and Dortmund having expressed an interest in signing Zaha as a potential replacement if either of those players are sold.
In an uncertain future for Zaha, one certainty remains – rife speculation regarding his next club will not simply go away any time soon.
