July 25, (THEWILL) – Wilfried Zaha has completed a move to Galatasaray, bidding farewell to his long-standing club, Crystal Palace, on a free transfer.
The winger, who spent nearly two decades at Selhurst Park, signed a lucrative three-year contract with the Turkish side, ensuring an annual salary of €4.35 million (£3.75m) and an additional signing-on fee of €2.35m (£2m). Zaha’s departure marks the end of a remarkable journey with the Eagles, and he thanked the club’s faithful supporters, reminiscing about the cherished memories and challenges they faced together.
Zaha’s departure from Crystal Palace after 19 years has undoubtedly left a profound impact on both the player and the fans. In a heartfelt message to the South London club’s supporters, Zaha said: “We have been through so much together, including 10 years in the Prem. There are loads of amazing memories that will stay in my head forever and also some really tough times along the way but I’m so proud to have played my part in getting us to the Prem and helping to keep us there.”
The Englishman’s journey began at the age of 12 when he joined the Palace Academy in 2004, eventually making his first-team debut in 2010. There were initial challenges when he joined Manchester United, but Zaha returned to his beloved club, where he went on to amass an impressive record of 458 appearances, scoring 90 goals, and providing 76 assists.
The 29-year-old winger’s decision to join Galatasaray marks a new chapter in his footballing journey, with the Turkish club being the fortunate recipient of his exceptional talent. Several clubs had shown interest in signing Zaha, but he chose to go to Galatasaray.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
