Chelsea are ready to table an offer for Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha - with manager Frank Lampard willing to include 'one of his strikers' as part of any deal.
Zaha was heavily linked with a move away from the club in the summer, with Arsenal and Everton among the clubs that were interested in signing him, but a deal failed to materialise.
This season, the Ivory Coast international has managed three goals and provided just one assist in 20 Premier League games.
Chelsea were prevented from registering new players in the summer, but are now free to enter the market again in January after having their FIFA transfer ban reduced. A six-man attacking shortlist has now been revealed, with Zaha one of the players the Blues are keen on.
It was recently reported that the west London side were ready to 'step up' their interest in the attacker, with manager Frank Lampard keen to land a creative attacker. With the 27-year-old continuing to be linked with a move away, Palace manager Roy Hodgson has recently admitted that while the club are not looking to sell the player, they would be forced to consider a 'serious' bid for his services.
The latest development comes from the Times, who are reporting that the Blues are ready to table an offer for Zaha, after Lampard identified him as a 'major target'.
While the reported £80m price tag could prove a potential stumbling block, the manager may look to include one of his strikers in any deal, with Olivier Giroud one of the players the club are willing to offload.
With Giroud struggling for game time this season, the forward himself recently admitted that it will be 'difficult' to stay at Chelsea. West Ham have now joined the race to sign the Frenchman after David Moyes was recently reappointed.
Source :
90min
