Crystal Palace: Pierre Sage issues Wilfried Zaha transfer update as legend trains at club | OneFootball

Eagles will play Europa League football after Conference League triumph

Pierre Sage looks to have ruled out an emotional return for club legend Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace.

The Ivorian, who rose to prominence during his two spells at Selhurst Park, has been training with his former club after his departure from Major League Soccer franchsie Charlotte FC.

Zaha, now 33, left Palace back in 2023 in order to play Champions League football, and he moved to Turkey to play for Galatasaray in a bid to fulfil his dream of featuring in Europe’s top competition.

He netted against another of his old employers - Manchester United - on his first start in the competition, scoring in a 3-2 win for the Super Lig side at Old Trafford in the group stage.

He moved to Lyon on a short-lived loan deal in 2024 before that agreement was cancelled in January 2025, and he then made the switch to the United States for an 18-month loan spell.

He returned to Gala this summer, but was released upon the expiry of his contract.

Returning hero? Wilfried Zaha

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It now brings him back to south London, where he has been in and amongst the first-team fold at Copers Cope as he looks to earn a deal ahead of the new Premier League season.

Zaha is hoping to impress Palace’s new boss, Sage, who took over from Oliver Glasner after the Austrian’s departure.

Yet despite the winger’s hero status within the Palace faithful, Sage has poured cold water over a potential comeback.

“I am happy to see he has this link with the club and fans but I don’t think that he will stay with us,” the Frenchman said ahead of the Eagles’ trip to Everton on the opening day of the campaign.

The south Londoners have been fairly active in the transfer market, having lost Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea earlier in the window.

They have landed the likes of Oscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu on free transfers, while Dwight McNeil has also arrived from Everton, with Brennan Johnson moving to Merseyside in a swap deal.

Young wing-backs Anan Khalaili and Zavier Gozo have joined from Union Saint-Gilloise and Real Salt Lake respectively.

Evann Guessand has renewed his loan from Aston Villa, as Sage continues his rebuild ahead of the new campaign.