Zaha departs Crystal Palace and joins Galatasaray

Ivorian international striker Wilfried Zaha announced his departure from Crystal Palace, the English club that introduced him to the world, amid speculation of his possible exit from the Premier League for the first time in his career to join Turkey's Galatasaray.

The 30-year-old rejected an offer from Palace, the team he joined at the age of 12 in 2004, in order to sign a new contract worth £200,000 per week.

Zaha scored 90 goals in 458 matches with Crystal Palace. He left the club for two seasons to defend the colors of Manchester United, where he struggled to establish himself and returned to the London club on loan twice, with a brief stint at Cardiff City, before returning permanently in 2015.

The Ivorian addressed the Palace fans in a post on Instagram, saying, "As I prepare to start a new chapter, I wanted to speak to you, the fans, who have meant so much to me. We've been through a lot together, including 10 years in the English Premier League."

He continued, "There are so many amazing memories that will stay with me forever, and (we've also been through) some really tough times along the way, but I'm so proud to have played my part in helping us reach the Premier League and keeping us there."

Zaha, who represented England twice before deciding to play for his homeland Ivory Coast, hoped that the Palace fans would remember the positives rather than the negatives from his time with the team. He said, "I've worn the Palace shirt since I was eight years old. It's literally my second skin, and I always give my all when I put it on."

He added, "You've seen me angry and frustrated, but you've also seen my thirst and passion and the joy I get from winning, and I hope that's the memory you have of me, the Palace fans."

Zaha joined Manchester United for £10 million in 2013, but he failed to establish himself and only played two matches for the "Red Devils".

Despite being linked with potential moves to Italy's Lazio, Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr, and Turkey's Fenerbahce, it seems that Galatasaray is the closest to signing him, as the club revealed in a tweet that they have "started official negotiations" with the player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP