Chelsea in pole position to sign Wilfried Zaha – Reports

Chelsea have been given a boost in their pursuit of Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, with Tottenham the latest club to pull out of the race for the talented 25-year-old. Tottenham were keen on acquiring the services of Zaha, but baulked at the £75 million price tag slapped on the Ivorian by Palace. Now, Chelsea have emerged as the leading destination for the prodigious talent.

Zaha signed a lucrative new contract which would see him earn £100,000-a-week with Palace a little more than a year ago but has turned down an extension as he sees his future elsewhere. However, manager Roy Hodgson remains confident Palace’s talisman will remain at the club, at least for this season.

“I spoke to Wilf yesterday (last Thursday) and he certainly gave me no indication it was true about wanting to quit the club. In fact, we were talking about how good the new signings were and how they would help us. The thing with Wilf is very simple. He's very much an integral part of our plans. He's very much an integral part of Crystal Palace Football Club,” Hodgson explained to TalkSport.

However, it would be hard to turn down a move to Chelsea, and despite the assurances, it appears Zaha is headed for the exit door. Chelsea have been relatively silent in the market this summer, with Jorginho the only big-name signing, and will have to act quickly to sign Zaha, with the window slamming shut in a little more than a couple of days’ time.

Zaha would be a perfect fit at Chelsea, with his high-energy approach and dynamism exactly what Maurizio Sarri is looking for in his players. With Willian still heavily linked with a move away from the club, Zaha would serve as the ideal replacement for the Brazilian.