PSG Reportedly Plan £100m Transfer Bid for Wilfried Zaha to Replace Neymar
August 25, 2019
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly eyeing Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha as a potential £100 million replacement for Neymar should the Brazil forward leave the club this summer.
According to the Mirror's Tom Hopkinson, Les Parisiens will send a delegation to London to meet with the Eagles. They're also keen on Juventus' Paulo Dybala, but a move for the Argentina striker would not rule out an attempt to sign Zaha.
Both Arsenal and Everton were linked to Zaha this summer, with Palace telling their Premier League rivals that they value the Ivory Coast forward at £100 million, per Hopkinson. The 26-year-old lobbied for a transfer throughout the Premier League transfer window.
Neymar's future continues to be hotly debated, with a consistent stream of reports linking him to former club Barcelona and their fierce rivals Real Madrid. PSG manager Thomas Tuchel has said the Brazilian will not play until the situation is resolved, per sports writer Jonathan Johnson:
While the Premier League's transfer widow has already closed, French and Spanish clubs can still sign players until their deadline on September 2.
Palace are unlikely to entertain a sale at this stage of the season, unless the offer from PSG is too good to pass up. The Eagles would not be able to bring in a replacement until January, and sorely need the attacking talents of the former Manchester United forward.
Zaha scored 10 goals and added five assists in the Premier League last season, but has yet to find the target in the 2019-20 campaign. The Eagles have earned four points from their first three matches, and appear likely to be among the pack of lower mid-table clubs who sit just above the relegation zone.
Without Zaha they could turn into a relegation candidate in a hurry, so a sale before the January window is unlikely.