West Ham suffer hammer blow in Wilfried Zaha pursuit | OneFootball

West Ham United have suffered a blow in the race to sign Galatasaray forward Wilfried Zaha.

According to Turkish media outlet Sabah, the 31-year-old winger has decided to remain at Rams Park this summer despite interest from the Hammers.

West Ham had initiated talks with Gala to sign Zaha, and the Ivory Coast international was initially open to the idea of returning to the Premier League.

However, he subsequently had a change of heart, forcing both clubs to shut down negotiations.

Zaha joined the Turkish giants on a free transfer at the start of the 2023/24 season after running down his contract at Crystal Palace.

His debut season in Turkey was a mixed bag. He notched ten goals and five assists in 42 games across all competitions but lost his starting berth during the run-in.

His reduced playing time sparked rumours that he might be looking for an exit after just 12 months, and West Ham were open to the idea of welcoming him back to the Premier League.

However, the deal has fallen through, and West Ham will have to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements.

The move for Zaha makes no sense

Zaha’s links to Palace and the idea of joining a London rival were perhaps the primary instigators of his transfer U-turn.

The former Palace forward made over 450 appearances for the Eagles during three stints at Selhurst Park, netting 90 goals and providing 62 assists.

He has plenty of Premier League experience, but launching a move to lure him to the London Stadium makes little sense.

Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten are planning a squad overhaul this summer.

Bolstering the attacking department is considered a priority, but trying to sign Zaha, who couldn’t hack it in the Turkish league, reeks of a poor decision.

That money could be invested in a proven Premier League player or a first-team-ready signing who can improve the squad and bolster West Ham’s chances of securing European football.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com.