Chelsea manager Maurizo Sarri has sanctioned a move for Crystal Palace and Ivory Coast International Wilfred Zaha, according to the British Press.
The Chelsea power brokers will decide whether or not to pursue an 11th-hour move for Zaha.Crystal Palace are demanding £70m for Zaha, who has snubbed an improved contract at Selhurst Park.Chelsea have, so far, been unwilling to spend more than £30m plus players on loan.Zaha is currently tied to the Eagles until the summer of 2022 on a deal worth £100,000-a-week.
But the 25-year-old has rejected an offer to boost his wages to £125,000-a-week. He is reportedly open to a fresh challenge and has told pals he has an offer to leave the club.Zaha is aware he can land a more financially-appealing contract at Chelsea, the Daily Mail claim.
Zaha advanced into the Crystal Palace first team from their academy in 2010. In January 2013, he transferred to Manchester United for an initial fee of £10 million, Alex Ferguson’s last transfer before his retirement at the end of the season. Zaha remained on loan at Palace until the end of the season, helping them return to the Premier League. After an unsuccessful 2013–14 season with Manchester United (partly spent on loan at Cardiff City), Zaha returned to Palace in August 2014 on a season-long loan, before rejoining the club on a permanent basis in February 2015.
Born in the Ivory Coast, Zaha grew up in England from the age of four. He made his debut for the England national team in 2012.On 25 January 2013, Zaha agreed to join Premier League club Manchester United, and would immediately be loaned back to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the season.
Palace tried to delay the transfer and agree the transfer in the summer of 2013, but Football League rules prevented this with the player having to join United and be loaned back to Palace. Zaha passed the medical at Manchester United, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract on 26 January 2013 for a reported £10m rising to £15m with performance-related add-ons.
He made two non-competitive appearances for England, the last of which coming in 2013, before switching his allegiances to the Ivory Coast ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. FA Cup winners Chelsea finished fifth, 30 points behind champions City, in the Premier League last season.
Chelsea have only signed three players this summer with Jorginho joining from Napoli and the most recent one being Former England goalkeeper Robert green. The Blues lost the community Shield 2-0 to defending Champions Manchester City. The London club kick off their Premier League campaign against Huddersfield on Saturday.