Real Madrid join chase for Zaha

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is keeping a close watch on England wonderboy Wilfried Zaha.

Former Chelsea manager Mourinho has sent scouts to check on the Crystal Palace forward this season as the 20-year-old’s meteoric rise has continued.

The Special One is now taking a keen interest in Zaha, subject of a shock call-up by England boss Roy Hodgson for Wednesday night's friendly against Sweden.

Zaha has also been courted by Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea after developing into one of the country’s best young talents.

Hodgson has moved quickly to make sure that Zaha commits himself to England after former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba tried to persuade him to play for Ivory Coast, where he was born.

It is understood that Zaha wants to play for England and the FA are now confident the bright young talent will commit himself to the Three Lions.

Palace do not want to let their star man go and have slapped a £20m price on his head to try to scare off clubs planning to bid in January.

The Championship side's co-owner Stephen Browett says it would be madness for Palace to scupper their promotion bid by allowing him to leave in the New Year transfer window.

“We absolutely do not want to sell Wilfried in January,” said Browett, who owns the club with fellow consortium members Steve Parish, Martin Long and Jeremy Hosking.

“If you finish last in the Premier League you get £60m in prize money - and with parachute payments over four years you are guaranteed £100m.

“It is such a massive amount that selling your best player when you have a good chance of promotion makes no sense at all.

“The figure of £20m has been talked about and that lets interested clubs know we are serious. But he is not for sale.”

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Arsenal will bid for Zaha in the transfer window but their intended opening gambit of around £7m is way short of ­Palace’s evaluation.

Zaha reported for England duty for the first time on Monday, and was described as being a “fantastic” talent by one of his new team-mates.

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge said: “Zaha was fantastic in training today.

"I was surprised at how good he was and the skills he had. He does things early and I was amazed at how good he was.”

Watch a video of him here:



Source: DailyMirror