Chelsea are eyeing a move for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha in the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claims the Blues are among the clubs considering approaching the Ivory Coast international at the end of the season and are emerging as serious contenders for his signature.
The West Londoners are in search of a manager following the sacking of Graham Potter – who was replaced by club legend Frank Lampard on an interim basis. The former England midfielder is still winless since taking charge of the team and is expected to vacate the role when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The club’s main focus is to get a permanent manager as well as trim their large squad in the summer, however, the Blues hierarchy are still planning to bring in further new additions and have identified Zaha as a target.
Chelsea would need to sell players this summer in order to meet the Financial Fair Play requirement after spending £323m in the winter transfer window and splashing out close to £300m last summer.
Though several players are expected to be offloaded, the club would also like to bring in at least two or three new players to bolster the squad as they look to be competitive next season.
Reinforcement
Chelsea have been linked with a move for several forwards including Neymar and Sadio Mane, however, signing Zaha would be a cheaper option.
According to the Daily Mail, the 30-year-old’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and Palace have offered Zaha a new contract worth in the region of £200,000 per week, but interest from other clubs means he is keeping his options open.
Chelsea will face stiff competition as it’s reported that both Milan clubs, Napoli and Marseille are also monitoring the situation and he also has lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, however, Zaha is keen on staying in Europe if he is to leave Selhurst Park this summer.
Zaha, who is valued at £24m by Transfermarkt, has racked up 26 appearances across all competitions for Roy Hodgson’s side, scored seven goals, and provided three assists in the process.
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