FORMER CRYSTAL PALACE forward Wilfried Zaha has joined Major League Soccer side Charlotte on loan from Galatasaray until 2026.
The 32-year-old has been on loan at Lyon in Ligue 1 but has made only one start as well as five substitute appearances.
Having played 458 times and scored 90 goals for Palace across two spells, he departed for Turkey on a free transfer in 2023 and helped the Istanbul outfit win the Super Lig title in his only full season.
Zoran Krneta, general manager of North Carolina-based franchise Charlotte, said on the club website: “Wilfried is a world-class talent who has proven himself at the highest level of the sport as an elite goalscorer and chance creator.
“His performances in the Premier League and on the international level speak for themselves and we are confident that Wilfried can make an immediate impact in Major League Soccer.”
Zaha, who was the final signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson before his retirement, spent a single, unsuccessful season at Manchester United under David Moyes before returning to Selhurst Park.
He will fill a designated player spot at Charlotte, a rule which allows a franchise to sign up to three players that would otherwise fall foul of a team’s salary cap.
Elsewhere, Wolves are not expected to sell star player Matheus Cunha during the January transfer window, despite reported interest from a host of Premier League clubs.
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The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for Wolves in a miserable season, scoring 10 goals and assisting four more in 21 Premier League appearances.
That has seen him attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs during the current transfer window, with Nottingham Forest and Arsenal said to be considering bids.
But Wolves have received no offers or official contact for Cunha and the PA news agency understands he is not for sale, with the club determined he will still be at Molineux after the window shuts on 3 February.
The midlands club, who face Arsenal at home on Saturday, are relaxed about the situation as he has two and a half years left on his current contract.
Wolves have recently opened discussions with the Brazilian over a new deal, though that was as recognition for his form this season and not due to his immediate future.
Cunha joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2023, initially on loan, and has been a key player since then.
He has had to watch other important players such as Pedro Neto, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Neves be sold in recent years.
As a result, Wolves’ fortunes have faltered on the pitch and they find themselves in 17th in the Premier League table, above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Finally, Brazilian star Neymar is in discussions about leaving his Saudi club Al-Hilal but his financial demands are holding up an agreement, a club source told AFP on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has had an injury-plagued stay in Saudi Arabia, playing just seven times despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.
The source, who spoke on condition that he was not identified, said: “Neymar is discussing his departure with Al-Hilal but his high financial demands remain a major obstacle.”
Neymar is under contract with the Saudi Pro League club until June.
Reports in Brazil say Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now fading career, are in talks for him to return to his homeland but Al-Hilal would prefer a transfer while Neymar wants a loan deal.
Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.
He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.
But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action for Al-Hilal.
The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
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Ex-Man United and Palace player Zaha makes US move
FORMER CRYSTAL PALACE forward Wilfried Zaha has joined Major League Soccer side Charlotte on loan from Galatasaray until 2026.
The 32-year-old has been on loan at Lyon in Ligue 1 but has made only one start as well as five substitute appearances.
Having played 458 times and scored 90 goals for Palace across two spells, he departed for Turkey on a free transfer in 2023 and helped the Istanbul outfit win the Super Lig title in his only full season.
Zoran Krneta, general manager of North Carolina-based franchise Charlotte, said on the club website: “Wilfried is a world-class talent who has proven himself at the highest level of the sport as an elite goalscorer and chance creator.
“His performances in the Premier League and on the international level speak for themselves and we are confident that Wilfried can make an immediate impact in Major League Soccer.”
Zaha, who was the final signing made by Sir Alex Ferguson before his retirement, spent a single, unsuccessful season at Manchester United under David Moyes before returning to Selhurst Park.
He will fill a designated player spot at Charlotte, a rule which allows a franchise to sign up to three players that would otherwise fall foul of a team’s salary cap.
Elsewhere, Wolves are not expected to sell star player Matheus Cunha during the January transfer window, despite reported interest from a host of Premier League clubs.
The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for Wolves in a miserable season, scoring 10 goals and assisting four more in 21 Premier League appearances.
That has seen him attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs during the current transfer window, with Nottingham Forest and Arsenal said to be considering bids.
But Wolves have received no offers or official contact for Cunha and the PA news agency understands he is not for sale, with the club determined he will still be at Molineux after the window shuts on 3 February.
The midlands club, who face Arsenal at home on Saturday, are relaxed about the situation as he has two and a half years left on his current contract.
Wolves have recently opened discussions with the Brazilian over a new deal, though that was as recognition for his form this season and not due to his immediate future.
Cunha joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid in 2023, initially on loan, and has been a key player since then.
He has had to watch other important players such as Pedro Neto, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Neves be sold in recent years.
As a result, Wolves’ fortunes have faltered on the pitch and they find themselves in 17th in the Premier League table, above the relegation zone on goal difference.
Finally, Brazilian star Neymar is in discussions about leaving his Saudi club Al-Hilal but his financial demands are holding up an agreement, a club source told AFP on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has had an injury-plagued stay in Saudi Arabia, playing just seven times despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.
The source, who spoke on condition that he was not identified, said: “Neymar is discussing his departure with Al-Hilal but his high financial demands remain a major obstacle.”
Neymar is under contract with the Saudi Pro League club until June.
Reports in Brazil say Santos, the club where Neymar made his name in his now fading career, are in talks for him to return to his homeland but Al-Hilal would prefer a transfer while Neymar wants a loan deal.
Neymar, the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros ($230 million), joined Al-Hilal in August 2023.
He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.
But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action for Al-Hilal.
The club’s coach Jorge Jesus said recently: “He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
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Done Deal EPL Premier League Crystal Palace team:Manchester united (Football 42) transfer wrap us move Wilfried Zaha