Palace fearful of Zaha exit as deal runs down
Forward in no rush to sign despite bumper pay offer
CRYSTAL Palace fear Wilfried Zaha will leave when his deal expires at the end of the season, despite the club verbally offering their talisman a bumper new contract.
The club are not close to an agreement with the Ivory Coast forward, who will effectively become a free agent on January 1.
On that date, he can sign a pre-contract to join an overseas club for next season, and there looks little prospect of a new deal with Palace before the turn of the year to avoid that scenario.
Talks have taken place over a new big-money contract for Zaha, but it is understood no formal, written offer has been submitted. Instead, the Eagles have made a substantial verbal offer.
The deal includes a pay hike on his current £130,000-a-week wages — a package which would represent the most lucrative playing contract in the club’s history.
Talks are ongoing, however, and it remains to be seen whether an improved offer to Zaha will increase the prospect of an agreement.
But there is doubt about whether Palace are prepared to significantly raise the offer they have already made to Zaha. Since re- signing Zaha permanently in February 2015, Palace have successfully kept the forward — who turns 30 next week — out of the clutches of his admirers.
Zaha left Palace in 2013 to join Manchester United, becoming Sir Alex Ferguson’s final signing, but he made just two Premier League starts under Sir Alex’s successor David Moyes.
The perception that Zaha is not cut out for the highest level — following that brief stint at United when he feels he was not given a fair opportunity — has frustrated him and the Ivorian would be keen to prove his critics wrong.
Zaha has been the subject of interest in the past from some of the Premier League’s elite clubs — Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, as well as United — and being a free agent at the end of the season would only increase his hopes of securing another move to a ‘Big Six’ team.
Zaha enjoyed his best season at Palace last term in Patrick Vieira’s first year in charge, scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.
He already has six goals and one assist in 11 appearances this season.