West Ham United appear to be serious about bringing Wilfried Zaha back to the Premier League, with reports suggesting talks between the club and the player’s representatives are underway.
Zaha, a former Crystal Palace star, has been linked with West Ham on numerous occasions in the past. These rumours have resurfaced with Julen Lopetegui’s imminent arrival as manager.
West Ham faces a significant squad rebuild this summer. With several players departing as free agents and potential sales like Lucas Paqueta looming, the Hammers will be active in the transfer market. Technical Director Tim Steidten and Lopetegui will have their work cut out for them.
According to KUMB, Zaha could be Lopetegui’s first signing for West Ham. Reports claim his representatives recently flew to England for talks with West Ham officials, and notably, met with no other clubs during their visit.
Adding fuel to the fire is a recent social media post by Zaha. He shared a cryptic message with an hourglass emoji, often interpreted as signifying timing or waiting. Some fans are interpreting this as a hint towards a potential West Ham move, especially considering the timing of Moyes’ departure and Lopetegui’s arrival.
While Zaha joined Galatasaray only last summer, his playing time hasn’t been as extensive as he might have preferred. He has started just 20 matches across league and European competitions, but has still managed a respectable 10 goals and 4 assists.
With the possibility of Paqueta leaving, Lopetegui would likely seek a creative attacking player for the left side. Zaha’s experience and proven track record in the Premier League (68 goals and 29 assists in 305 appearances) make him a strong candidate.
The prospect of Zaha on the left flank alongside Mohammed Kudus in central attacking midfield, Jarrod Bowen on the right, and a new striker upfront is an exciting proposition for West Ham fans.
However, some questions remain. How well will Zaha adapt after playing outside the Premier League for a while? Also remember Kalvin Phillips’ struggles, which highlighted the challenges of rejoining the Premier League after a break.
31 isnt a good age to buy a pacey player, it wont be too long till we have a cart horse on the wing on a long contract and big wages
Agree. I thought this was exactly the type of signing that Steidten tried to avoid. If Lopetegui is going to keep trying to bringing in older PL veterans, how long before he too clashes with Steidten?
Signing Moyes’s nemesis as soon as he walks out the door. Love it!
Won’t be available for pre season……too busy with the Olympic Diving team.
Wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole, too much bad blood.
lot of hate for this guy – not just here but everywhere – and some criticisms i can understand, but i think a lot of it is a tad over the top (and i have my reasons for that). but maybe the point here is that his signing does not mean we’d not look at signing another player who could also slot in there or using an academy lad and see how it goes. he’s a home grown player and we need to sign a few of those or bring boys up to fill the quota. he’s a good player, he scores goals, provides assists and WH fans want passion (which he doesn’t lack) and he slots in to that graveyard shift straight away. i honestly believe he and Emerson could even overlap really well down that flank cos Zaha is also willing to track. in the meantime, cultivate a successor to the position. we’ve done this with ‘difficult’ players like him before and sometimes with great effect. gamble, but i’m for it 🤷🏻♂️