Zaha ready to reject Chelsea and Arsenal over wild Palace assurance

Tom Weber

• Updated: 24 Apr 2023 14:17 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Chelsea target Wilfried Zaha is ready to stay at Crystal Palace on one crazy condition.

The Ivorian winger is one of the Premier League's most intriguing commodities this summer as he could be had on a free transfer with his Crystal Palace contract set to expire. Unsurprisingly, he has been linked with several big clubs including fellow London outfits Chelsea and Arsenal but also Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 30-year-old is coming off something of a down year, having only racked up six goals and two assists in 24 Premier League outings. Nevertheless, interest in him remains high and reports from Spain recently suggested that he had turned down the chance to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia to sign for Arsenal instead.

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Now, new reports claim that Zaha could be set for a transfer U-turn that will see him stay at Palace if the club shows enough ambition in the future.

Palace in Europe?

According to the Guardian, Zaha is ready to extend his stay with the London side "but wants assurances over the club’s ambition to qualify for European competition before signing." A club record €11 million-per-season contract offer is on the table waiting to be signed, the report continues.

Though it seems outlandish to think that Palace, who were battling relegation until Roy Hodgson returned, could make a charge for Europe in the near future, there is potential in the club and Zaha likely knows that better than anyone, having made more than 400 appearances for the Eagles.

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Palace are in the top 30 of Europe's richest sides and have several players with a high ceiling, so the Palace project could be one to keep an eye on, especially with a new head coach coming in in the summer. If that coach turns out to be the rumoured Adi Hütter, Palace could be much improved next season.