Categories: Sports

Zaha In Talks With Galatasaray As He Says Farewell To Palace

 

Ivory Coast international Wilfried Zaha, on Monday, said he will leave Premier League side Crystal Palace, with Turkish champions Galatasaray revealing they are in talks with the forward.

Zaha, 30, turned down signing a new contract worth a reported £200,000 ($256,000) a week from the London club whom he joined aged 12.

He has scored 90 goals in 458 games for Palace and was sent on loan to the club twice during an unhappy two-year hiatus at Manchester United.

“As I start a new chapter I want to speak to you Palace fans who mean so much to me,” Zaha posted on Instagram.

“We have been through so much together, including 10 years in the Prem (Premier League).

“There are loads of amazing memories that will stay in my head forever and also some really tough times along the way, but I’m so proud to have played my part in getting us to the Prem and helping to keep us there.”

READ ALSO: Al Hilal Make €300m Record Bid For Kylian Mbappe – Reports

Zaha — who played twice for England before declaring for the country of his birth, Ivory Coast — said he hoped Palace fans would remember the positives rather than the negatives from his long service.

“I’ve been wearing the Palace shirt since I was eight years old, it’s literally been my second skin and I always gave everything when I wore it,” he said.

“You have all seen me angry and frustrated, but you’ve also seen my hunger and passion and the joy that I take from winning, and I hope that is the memory that lives on in the minds of Palace fans.”

Zaha joined Manchester United for £10 million in 2013 but he never settled, playing just twice, and aside from the two loan spells with Palace also went on loan to Cardiff.

He re-joined Palace permanently in 2015.

Although he has been linked with Serie A side Lazio, Saudi outfit Al-Nassr and Turkish side Fenerbahce, it is the latter’s great rivals Galatasaray who appear to have edged ahead in the race to sign him.

Galatasaray confirmed in a tweet “formal negotiations have been initiated” with the player.

AFP

Donatus Anichukwueze

Disqus Comments Loading...
Share
Published by
Donatus Anichukwueze

Recent Posts

Fires Kill Two, Leave Hundreds Homeless In South Africa

Two of the fires occurred on Saturday evening and one in the early hours of…

4 mins ago

Gov Kefas Approves N1bn For Gratuity, Directs Immediate Payments

The last time any payments were made was in 2011.

15 mins ago

Gaza Ceasefire Talks To Resume In Cairo

The mediators had hoped to secure a ceasefire before the start of Ramadan, but progress…

1 hour ago

NDLEA Intercepts Qatar-Bound Illicit Drugs Concealed In African Salad, Dried Vegetables

The suspect was said to be attempting to export the illicit drug to Doha, Qatar…

2 hours ago

SERAP Gives Sani, Wike, Others Ultimatum To Account For N5.9trn, $4.6bn Loans

SERAP's request also includes details and locations of projects executed with the loans.

3 hours ago

Pope Francis Pleads For Peace In Easter Message

Pope made the call in his Easter message in the Vatican on Sunday.

3 hours ago