Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their efforts to sign Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha. The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Selhurst Park for some time now as he continues to impress for the Eagles, with Arsenal once credited with interest.
Zaha, who sees his contract with the south Londoners expire in 2023, has featured 13 times for Patrick Vieira's side in the Premier League this season, directly contributing towards eight goals. His impressive displays for Palace over the years have courted the interest of several big clubs but a switch has never materialised.
As it stands, the Ivory Coast international will be eligible to begin pre-contract talks with foreign clubs in January should he opt against penning a new deal at Palace. But if Zaha were to hold out until June - when his tenure officially comes to an end - then a Premier League move would be a possibility.
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Just earlier this month, 90min reported that Chelsea considered a move for the Ivorian in the summer and, while they are still keen, AC Milan star Rafael Leao and RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku have perked the Blues' interest. If the west Londoners do decide to go for Zaha instead then they could be in luck.
In a column for CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano said: "Crystal Palace will try until the end to keep Wilfried Zaha, but yes, I’m told a free transfer is now a serious possibility and the most likely solution. He’d move for an important club, but I think before January nothing will be resolved.
"I’ve revealed before that Roma showed an interest in him last summer, but we’ll see about 2023. For sure, playing regularly will be a priority for him and his decision."
However, Zaha has been warned against joining a top-six side amid fears that the winger will not be granted game-time reflective of his ability. Speaking to Football Insider, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson claimed that the Palace star would struggle to hold down a place in a starting XI at Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham.
"Look at Spurs, would he get in that front three? Probably not," Robinson said. "You would be taking him for the sake of taking him. There was talk of him going to Arsenal, but with the form [Gabriel] Martinelli and [Bukayo] Saka are in, I'm not sure he would start.
"He will not want to go to a top-six club for the sake of it. He will want to play. Zaha is a high-quality player. The last thing he wants is to be a bit-part player.
"When you look at Newcastle, that could be an option. Look at the way they play with [Allan] Saint-Maximin and [Miguel] Almiron. I think he would fit into that system. He could have an impact there and play most weeks."
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