The race to sign Crystal Palace striker Willfried Zaha appears to be over with Manchester United looking likely to sign the starlet. Zaha has captured all the headlines as premiership heavyweights Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United have shown significant interest in the pursuit to get the Palace stars signature. Tottenham had appeared to be in pole position as they opened negotiations with Palace, with a £10 million bid, for Zaha, who Palace value at £20 million.

Zaha happy with all the attention he is getting

United may have the upper hand as Crystal Palace are more interested in the Man United offer as, the Reds would loan Zaha back to Palace until the end of the season – in the way that Chris Smalling played for Fulham after signing in January 2010. And with Crystal Palace currently locked into a heated battle for a promotion place, having Zaha would be a huge benefit.

Zaha’s meteoric rise over the last two years has made the gifted winger,
one of the most sought after players outside the Premier League, with a move to a premiership side becoming a matter of when, not if.

Wilifried Zaha thinking about his future

Zaha’s rapid rise to prominence was hi-lighted when he was a surprise call-up in November for Roy Hodgson’s England squad for their friendly against Sweden. Originally a native of the the Ivory Coast, Zaha, moved to England with his parents as a child, where he joined the Crystal Palace Academy and quickly progressed through the ranks.

He made his senior debut against Cardiff in March 2010, aged 18, before establishing himself as a first-team regular. The winger was a virtual ever-present during the 2010-11 season and his impressive form in the Championship was rewarded with a call-up to the England Under-19 squad in February 2011.

All the transfer talk and interest from the premiership sides has brought additional pressure on the youngster as opposing teams are now beginning to focus their defensive energies on him more intently. Zaha’s form has also been affected by all the speculation and the level of his performances have dropped off. Nevertheless it will only be a matter of time before he moves onto greener pastures.