West Ham have reportedly suffered a blow in their quest to sign Wilfried Zaha this summer, with the winger now wanting to stay put at Galatasaray.
The Ivorian stands out as arguably Crystal Palace’s star player of the Premier League era, wreaking havoc with his trickery and scoring 90 goals in 458 appearances for the Eagles.
Zaha has since left Selhurst Park, joining Galatasaray last summer, but he hasn’t always had the level of impact he would have hope at the Turkish giants.
In fact, only 13 starts came the 31-year-old’s way in the Turkish Super Lig in 2023/24, highlighting why a fresh challenge may appeal to him ahead of next season.
West Ham have reportedly held talks with Zaha over a summer move, with Julen Lopetegui looking to get some important transfer business over the line in the upcoming window, having replaced David Moyes in the London Stadium hot seat.
According to Sabah [via Sport Witness], however, the Ivory Coast international has now decided to make a “u-turn” when it comes to his future, wanting to remain at Galatasaray.
The former Palace star has “cut off communication” with West Ham over a possible switch to east London, although Sport Witness do question if the Hammers’ interest in him may simply have cooled.
Assuming Zaha no longer wants to join the east Londoners this summer, it shouldn’t be seen as disastrous, even though the winger is clearly a talented footballer who knows how to be a big success in the Premier League.
There is an argument to say that, at 31, his best days are now behind him, which perhaps explains why he hasn’t always been seen as a key starter for Galatasaray since moving to the club.
Instead, West Ham could be wiser to look at younger options who can be great signings for Lopetegui over a longer period, rather than taking a risk on an ageing player who is likely to demand big wages, given the fact that he earns £117,000 per week at his current club.
Should the situation suddenly change again, there are positives to the Hammers snapping up Zaha, but in terms of long-term planning, he shouldn’t be looked at as an ideal summer signing.
