Chelsea are considering a late move to sign Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, according to The Independent.
The Blues are determined to sign a new number nine before the transfer deadline, and they seem to be considering various options.
Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the initial target, but Chelsea are reluctant to pay the £20m asking price for the 33-year-old.
The Independent now report that Zaha is under consideration and the Blues could be prepared to pay a high fee to pursue his services from Palace.
Palace valued him at a hefty £80 million three years ago, but may accept a knockdown price with Zaha’s deal expiring at the end of the campaign.
Our view:
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is keen on sharpening the club’s attack, and he may want a versatile number nine, who can also swap attacking positions.
Aubameyang would be a perfect fit with his vast Premier League experience with Arsenal, but Chelsea’s hierarchy are reluctant to meet the price tag.
In that case, Zaha would be an equally good acquisition. He is nearly four years younger than Aubameyang, and has been a leading star for Palace over the years.
He started his career as a regular on the flanks, but he is now capable of leading the line when required.
Zaha bagged 15 goals and two assists for Palace last campaign, and his statistics could be much better at Chelsea, who will create more scoring chances.
The Ivorian should be tempted to pursue a bigger challenge at the current phase of his career, but the big question is whether Palace would sanction his exit.
He is currently valued at £34.2 million by Transfermarkt. Despite entering the final year of his deal, Palace could hold out for a similar or a much higher sum.
Their decision would be justified, considering they have little time to pursue a top-class replacement. The onus is on Chelsea to pay a high fee to convince them.
