Wilfried Zaha’s eight-year stay with Crystal Palace looks as though it’s set to come to an end this summer, with the Ivorian international being out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 season. Zaha had originally been with the London-based club since 2004 as a youngster, before leaving them in 2013 for Manchester United, although the tricky winger struggled to nail down a regular starting spot for them, which resulted in him spending time on loan with Crystal Palace and Cardiff City.
The Palace number 11 wasted no time in making a positive impact upon his return to Selhurst Park, and he’s gone on to play a key role for the Eagles in recent years, as they continue to impress in the Premier League. In total, Zaha has made 458 appearances for Crystal Palace, and has chipped in with 90 goals and 76 assists, which catches the eye for all the right reasons. However, he looks set to depart the club on a free transfer this summer, with Football Insider recently reporting that contract negotiations have stalled between both parties, and confidence is decreasing that a fresh agreement will be reached anytime soon.
Therefore, that begs the question as to where Zaha could end up at ahead of the 2023/24 season. mybettingsites.co.uk have revealed the odds for Zaha’s next potential club on Sky Bet, so we’ll look at those before delving deeper into some of the potential suitors in the race to sign Zaha.
- Chelsea @ 4/1
- Any Saudi Arabian side @ 5/1
- Arsenal @ 5/1
- Aston Villa @ 8/1
- Tottenham Hotspur @ 8/1
- Newcastle United @ 9/1
- Atletico Madrid @ 11/1
- PSG @ 12/1
Odds displayed are correct as of 3:01 pm, Monday 15th May 2023. Odds are subject to change.
Chelsea
It’s certainly going to be an interesting summer ahead at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea looking to improve on what has been a disastrous season for them. The Blues have struggled for any sort of positive run of results, which has seen them slip into the bottom-half of the Premier League table, with Frank Lampard finding it tough in his second spell in charge of the club.
Chelsea already have some strong options in attack. Still, one of them, Joao Felix, could be set to return to Atletico Madrid from his loan spell with the Blues, which means that they’re likely to be in the market for a player that will provide a creative spark going forwards. Chelsea have lacked that for the majority of the season, and they wouldn’t be taking much of a risk in signing Zaha, as he’s proven in the Premier League, and wouldn’t cost any transfer fee, as he’s set to become a free agent in a matter of months. It seems as though it’s the best fit for both parties involved, and it isn’t much of a surprise to see betting sites agreeing with that with the odds they’re offering.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia might not be the most prestigious of football leagues for players to head towards, but there’s a significant pull for some players, as there are some eye-opening amounts of money being available in wages. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of those that has been tempted with a move to Saudi Arabia, as he’s currently playing his football for Al-Nassr.
Lionel Messi has also been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, although it remains unclear as to whether he’ll return to Barcelona, or pursue a new opportunity in Saudi Arabia. Zaha is approaching 31, and you couldn’t blame him if he was to take the step over to Saudi Arabia, especially given that he’s shown his quality in the Premier League on a consistent basis over the years.
Arsenal
It’s somewhat surprising to see Arsenal as third-favourites to sign Zaha, especially considering they already have strength in depth in that area. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard are all likely to be ahead of Zaha in the pecking order if he signed for the Gunners this summer. However, if they’re looking to add further depth to their squad ahead of their Champions League campaign next season, then Zaha could be the ideal player to turn to on a rotational basis.
However, you have to question whether the 30-year-old would want to sign for a club to be their fourth-choice option, and given that Zaha has been one of the first names on the team sheet at Crystal Palace for most of his career, it’s hard to believe that he’d be content with a spot on the substitutes bench more times than not with Arsenal. He’s a player with real quality that deserves to be playing on a more frequent basis.
PSG
It’s been well-documented that PSG could be set for a rebuild in the summer transfer window, with Lionel Messi seemingly edging closer to the exit door with the French giants. The Argentine would leave a sizeable void in attacking areas, and PSG would be certain to dip into the transfer market in search of his potential replacement. At the age of 30, a potential move for Zaha could work for both parties, with the Ivorian likely to be keen on playing for such a prestigious side both on the domestic and European front in the Champions League.
We’ve already seen that he can score and provide goals at a high level in the Premier League, and with a player of Kylian Mbappe’s quality finishing off the chances that Zaha would create in Ligue 1, it could prove to be a shrewd bit of business by the French side. Zaha’s Crystal Palace team-mate Michael Olise has been linked with a move to PSG himself this summer, and it’ll be interesting to see which player they push for ahead of the new season.