Wilfried Zaha: Galatasaray sign former Crystal Palace forward
- Published
Wilfried Zaha played in two friendlies for England but has represented Ivory Coast 31 times since 2017
Wilfried Zaha has joined Galatasaray on a three-year deal after his Crystal Palace contract expired.
The 30-year-old will be paid a signing-on fee of 2.35m euros (£2m) and an annual salary of 4.35m euros (£3.75m), the Turkish club said.
The Ivory Coast forward came through the Palace academy and has spent just one season away from the club.
He made 458 appearances for the Eagles, the third-most in their history, and scored 90 goals - seven last season.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson said: "I was really sad to hear that Wilf has decided to leave and start a new chapter in his footballing life.
"The club is losing an iconic figure and although we regret that it has not been possible to persuade Wilfried to stay longer, we can only wish the very best of luck to him and his family."
Zaha joined Manchester United in 2013 but returned to Palace a year later, initially on loan, and has worn the captain's armband on multiple occasions.
"I want to thank [Palace chairman] Steve Parish, all of my team-mates, coaches and the entire Palace fanbase for always believing in me and encouraging me to get to where I am today," Zaha wrote, external before his move was announced.
"I have been blessed to play in front of you and call you family from the day you accepted me. From the bottom of my heart, I'm forever grateful."
Parish called Zaha "our talisman, our greatest player" and said he "remains a true inspiration for all our young players in the academy".
"We would not be the club we are today without Wilfried," he added.
Before switching his international allegiance to Ivory Coast, Zaha played in two England friendlies under Hodgson, who returned for a second spell as Palace boss in March.
Zaha made his senior debut in 2010 at the age of 17 and quickly became a first-team regular for the Eagles, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2013.
After a £10m move to Manchester United, he made just four appearances for the Red Devils, going on loan to Cardiff then Palace, and halfway through his season-long loan with the Eagles they made the move permanent.
In October 2021, Zaha became the first Palace player to reach 50 top-flight goals for the club when he found the net in a 2-0 win over Manchester City.
Palace rejected offers from Arsenal and Everton for Zaha in 2019, and he was reportedly offered a new £200,000-a-week contract with Palace - the highest in the club's history - prior to the end of the 2022-23 season.
His existing deal expired on 30 June and he was linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League before committing to Galatasaray.
Palace have signed midfielder Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth this summer, while goalkeeper Jack Butland and midfielders Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur joined Zaha in leaving at the end of their contracts.
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