Crystal Palace lose out on Zaha sweepstakes as winger departs for Turkey
By Evan Curnew
While he was no longer a Crystal Palace player after July 1st, there was still some hope that Wilfried Zaha could return to his boyhood club. That hope looks to be crushed soon as the winger looks close to a move to Turkey. As first reported by David Ornstein, Zaha is closing in on a move to Galatasaray. Wilfried Zaha was long-linked to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, so the move to massive rivals Galatasaray comes as a shock. Lazio and Saudi clubs were also linked to the Ivorian forward in recent times.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Crystal Palace had offered Wilfried Zaha a lucrative contract that would’ve been a record deal for a player at the club. The South London club surely has to feel hard done by as they let Zaha train with the club as a free agent this month.
Now that it is confirmed he will not be returning to Palace, this is his second departure from the club. After coming through the academy at Crystal Palace, Wilfried Zaha first broke into the team when they were still in the Champions. During the 12-13 season, he helped Crystal Palace reach promotion to the Premier League after scoring twice in the playoff semi-finals against Brighton. The club then scored off a penalty he created in the final against Watford, the match-winner.
Wilfried Zaha saw an extremely short spell at Manchester United when he moved there in 2013. Just two seasons later, he was back at Crystal Palace, where he turned into the player he is today. Across all competitions, Zaha has played 453 matches for Crystal Palace, netting 90 goals and recording 76 assists. He sits third all-time in club appearances for the club and tenth in goals. Even with the disgruntling departure from the club this summer, he remains a Crystal Palace legend.