Chelsea are reportedly pondering over a January swoop to land former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, currently a part of Crystal Palace.
According to The Mirror, Wilfried Zaha could be set for a cross capital move to West London. The Crystal Palace winger’s move to Manchester United did not pan out as well, but is now being eyed by Chelsea as a potential January addition, with Antonio Conte looking to add to his options in the upcoming transfer window.
Wilfried Zaha has had a bit of a blip in his career – the move to Manchester United failed largely due to the change in manager at Old Trafford, with Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought the player in, announcing his retirement. His replacement, David Moyes, did not really give Zaha a chance to prove his worth.
But, his return to Palace has been fruitful, with the player back to being the danger man he was during his first stint at Selhurst Park. There have been several managerial changes at Palace as well, but, safe to say, Zaha has managed to remain a key player under each one of them.
Interest arrived from Tottenham during the summer. Despite a move failing to materialise in the summer, Tottenham are reported to be retaining an interest in the 25-year-old. But, another London giant has entered the race, with Chelsea eyeing a shock January move for the Ivory Coast international.
Man of the Match, @CPFC’s Wilfried Zaha
53 touches
14 dribbles, most in a PL game this season
25 passes
3 chances created
3 shots, 2 on target, 4th PL goal this season pic.twitter.com/riRZXThnuW— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 16, 2017
Antonio Conte is seeking additions to his attack, especially with rumours linking Willian with a January exit. The manager has been deploying Eden Hazard more as a striker, which does limit his options for the wings. Zaha, with his explosive nature, could be a valuable arrival.
Chelsea are evenly poised in the battle for Top 4, with the title challenge a distant dream for now given Manchester City’s marauding start to the Premier League campaign. Still, the league is often full of surprises and if City do slip up, it will provide others with the opportunity to cover ground and put pressure on the current leaders.
Add to that, Zaha would also be a huge help in the UEFA Champions League as well. Chelsea face Barcelona in the first knockout phase of the competition and are expected to deploy a more direct approach to navigate Barcelona’s tiki-taka playing style.
Zaha’s addition could aid their chances of beating the La Liga giants and putting together a good run in the Champions League.
Roy Hodgson seems to be aware of the potential interest in Zaha come January and while he has said that the club must fight to keep him, it would be impossible to refuse Chelsea or Tottenham or any other side, should they lodge a sizeable bid for his services.
