Wilfried Zaha was desperate to join Arsenal four years ago, but the Crystal Palace star could instead become Mauricio Pochettino's first Chelsea signing if replaces Frank Lampard in the dugout. The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Selhurst Park for a while now as he continues to impress for the Eagles.
football.london understands that the Blues held 'very positive talks' with the former Tottenham boss and his representatives on Monday evening regarding the vacant head coach position at Stamford Bridge. While the west Londoners do not want to rush into an appointment, it's believed that Pochettino is now the front-runner for the job, with confidence from both parties that a deal will get done.
Senior figures at Chelsea see the 51-year-old as the ideal fit to spearhead the club's long-term project, and the Argentine appears just as eager to make his return to the Premier League. football.london also understand that the Blues players welcome the appointment of Pochettino, but that hasn't stopped him from planning a shuffle of the pack in the summer.
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Zaha looks set to leave Crystal Palace once his contract expires at the end of the season, making him available via a free transfer. According to The Guardian, the Ivorian is considering a four-year deal worth more than £10million to stay at the Eagles amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
With Pochettino a fan of the forward, the Blues seem well-positioned to show why the Gunners should've signed Zaha when they had the chance. In an interview with The Sun, David Webb, the former head of elite identification and player development at Tottenham said: "I know Wilf was very close to Patrick [Vieira].
"If he was thinking of going then it’s probably pushed him a little bit further towards that. He’s really settled from what I know, with all his family around the Croydon, Beckenham, Bromley area so if he was trying something new, ideally it would be another London club.
"I know he’s had good offers from abroad like Saudi Arabia but I think his ideal one would be to test himself in the Premier League at a higher club. I know Poch was a big fan of his. I still think he’s attractive for a couple of years because he’s still got great attributes for the Premier League."
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