ZAHA’S £34M PIECE DEAL
Eagles break bank for ‘final bit of the jigsaw’
WILFRIED ZAHA has become Crystal Palace’s best-paid player ever, after signing a stunning new five-year deal worth £130,000 a week.
The fresh terms are the second in a year for the Ivory Coast forward, who signed a five-year deal last summer.
Zaha was a key man in Palace’s escape from relegation, and his value to the club has now been underscored by a £33.8million contract, which will run until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Tellingly, there is no release clause in his new deal. It means clubs in and around the Champions League targeting Zaha will have to pay far more than the £60m the Eagles valued him at during the summer.
“I’m very pleased,” said Zaha, who scored the Eagles’ second goal in their 2-0 win at Fulham last Saturday. “Obviously, I just wanted to get it over and done with, so I can focus on the season. I’m buzzing that we managed to get it sorted.”
Tottenham, Everton and Chelsea all expressed an interest but were scared off – even then – by the asking price for the schemer (below), who struggled when he moved to Manchester United in 2013.
Zaha, 25, has since recaptured his form and matured into an influential leader at Selhurst Park.
Palace chairman Steve Parish admitted over the weekend that there had been some “noise” in the market, but is now hoping the new deal will represent the “final piece of the jigsaw”, as the club look to compete in the top half of the table this season.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” Parish said. “We’re all so committed this year to giving it our best shot, and this is the final piece of the jigsaw.
“It’s nice to put all those stories to bed, stories we knew weren’t true and were just rumour-mongering. Wilfried, the player that we’ve seen all summer, has done everything properly and right.
“He’s shown the respect he’s got for this football club, and he should be applauded for that with all the noise that was going on around him. We’ve settled everything in terms of his long-term future, so we’re absolutely ecstatic.
“He’s scored the first goal when we bought the club in 2010. It’s been an incredible journey we’ve been on together. It’s been a fantastic journey, for the club, for me, for him. It seems as though we’re intertwined on this journey, and long may it continue.”
Zaha, who joined Palace as a 12-year-old, has made 288 appearances and scored 44 goals in two spells at the club.
He is currently their jointhighest Premier League scorer with Chris Armstrong, and has been their player of the year three seasons running.