Wilfried Zaha has told Crystal Palace he is willing to sign a five-year deal worth £110,000 a week after helping to secure the club’s Premier League status for another season.
The 24-year-old winger has enjoyed his most productive season, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists. He was also voted Palace’s player of the season.
His performances have caught the attention of Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, while Arsenal and Manchester City are understood to have made contact with his representatives in recent weeks. Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, insisted last month he was intent on resisting all offers for the former youth academy product who was purchased from Manchester United in 2015 after moving to Old Trafford in 2012 for £10m.
Negotiations over a new contract for Zaha have begun, with Palace believed to be willing to offer a deal that would bring the Ivory Coast international into line with the club’s best-paid player, Christian Benteke.
That would mean a significant increase on his salary of £60,000 a week but also add a hefty percentage to any potential transfer fee. Palace are thought to value Zaha at around £40m under his current terms.
Having seen his career stall after moving to United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing – Zaha made two substitute appearances for them in the Premier League – it is understood he is wary of leaving Selhurst Park for a club where he could face more competition for a regular place.
He is settled in the area with a young family and has indicated he would be happy to remain at the club he joined at the age of 12 after they secured top-flight football for a sixth successive season for the first time in their history.