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Manchester United & Tottenham join Arsenal in race for Wilfried Zaha
31-Oct-2012 1:58:00 PM
The Premier League's big-hitters are ready to fight for the Crystal Palace sensation's signature in January with enquiries already made by Manchester City & Liverpool
EXCLUSIVEBy Greg Stobart
Manchester United and Tottenham have joined the race for Crystal Palace sensation Wilfried Zaha who now looks certain to seal a January move to the Premier League.
Arsenal are also strongly considering a bid for Zaha while Goal.com revealed earlier this month that Manchester City and Liverpool have already made enquiries for the winger.
Steve Rowley, Arsenal’s chief scout, was joined in the stands at Palace’s victory over Leicester last weekend by senior scouts from United and Spurs, with the Premier League big-hitters ready to battle for the 19-year-old’s signature.
Zaha, who played a starring role against Leicester, is considered the most talented player in the Championship and has already made 107 appearances for Palace having made his debut at the age of 17 and become a first-team regular.
The England Under-21 international is under contract until 2017 and Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has claimed it would take £20 million to lure him away from Selhurst Park, although the bidding is more likely to start at around £10m in January, with foreign clubs also expressing an interest.
Liverpool and Spurs are keen to improve their wide options and are long-term admirers of the Football League’s 2011-12 Young Player of the Year, while United, City and Arsenal are all looking to snap up the best young talent in the country.
With such a scramble for his signature, Zaha’s next club could come down to the finances involved, although the versatile forward is a boyhood Arsenal fan.
He is the latest Palace academy graduate to attract the attention of the big Premier League clubs, following John Bostock, Victor Moses and Nathaniel Clyne.
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