Crystal Palace summer begins early after latest Wilfried Zaha injury blow

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha could have played his last game for the club after picking up a hamstring injury against Bournemouth over the weekend.

Zaha has only seven weeks left on his contract contract in south London and despite attempts from the Eagles to get him to sign a new deal, the 30-year-old insists he wants to take his time before deciding his next move.

LondonWorld.com understands Crystal Palace will go out of their comfort zone to keep Zaha who has played almost 450 games for the club and scored nearly 95 goals.

The hamstring injury against Bournemouth is the second time in nearly six weeks that the Ivory Coast international has picked up an injury having missed almost three games due to a similar issue against Leicester in what was manager Roy Hodgson’s first game in charge when he took over from Patrick Vieira in March.

Zaha has also received an outstanding offer in the region of £9 million a year from Al Ittihad and even though it falls short of the £10 million gross deal on the table from Palace, he’d not have to pay tax in Saudi Arabia- which is a game changer when it comes to considering the financial package of a player.

The Eagles have turned their season around since veteran manager Roy Hodgson returned to the club and players like Eberechi Eze who barely had a look in during Patrick Vieira’s last days at the club has looked sensational, sources say he would be an interest to both Premier League and clubs abroad in the summer.

Another player who has been sensational since the arrival of Hodgson has been Michael Olise, who has been nothing short of brilliant, chipping in assists and goals week after week. PSG are reported to have made contact with his representatives and it will be interesting to see if he still says in the Premier League next season.

Marc Guehi who joined the club from Chelsea in 2021 is also ahead of his development and at 22 is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Both north London rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham are said to be interested in his services.

This summer is one pivotal one for the Eagles with a decision on who becomes the permanent manager after Roy Hodgson has shown he still has more than enough to produce in the grueling Premier League despite being aged 75 and turning 76 soon.

Whoever the board and Parish decided on will go a long way in showing the ambition of the club, one thing is certain though, it will be a crucial summer in south London.