Wilfried Zaha wanted by EFL clubs - Birmingham City & Wrexham should look to sign him ASAP | OneFootball

The transfer window may be closed, but there are still free agents available, including former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha.

Former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha is available for transfer following the completion of his contract in Turkey with Galatasaray - could the 33-year-old head to the EFL?

The transfer window may have closed at 11pm on the 1st September, but that doesn't mean that Championship clubs are stuck with the exact personnel that they have now until January 1.

For those in urgent need of filling specific positions, emergency signings might be authorised by the EFL, though this is unlikely unless a club's situation is particularly dire.

But there is a far richer potential source of players who could be signed by clubs over the last four months of 2026, and that's free agents.

Transfer rules ban moves between clubs, but those without a club are free to go wherever they like, and one name stands out as being a potential steal for any club who's looking to boost their goalscoring potential for 2026-27.

Wilfried Zaha left Crystal Palace at the end of his contract at Selhurst Park in 2023 to sign a three-year deal with the Turkish giants Galatasaray, but that deal has now expired, leaving him without a club.

Zaha returned to train with his former club during the summer, but they decided against offering him a new contract for this season, meaning that he is still available for anyone willing to take a chance on him.

At 33 years of age, Zaha is now approaching the twilight years of his career, but despite some unnamed EFL clubs eyeing him up, the winger believes he can still play at a decent level in Europe, as per a report from Alan Nixon.

His mind may be able to be changed though, so here are TWO Championship clubs who should be taking a second look at a forward who was hitting double-figures in the Premier League as recently as four years ago - providing they'll have room in their squad after lists are submitted to the EFL.

Birmingham City

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Few other clubs in the Championship have a similar level of ambition to Birmingham City. With plans for a new 62,000-capacity stadium to be open by around 2030, the Blues' owners aren't just targetting a return to the Premier League, they're chasing a place in the Champions League, in the long-term.

But on the pitch, the team haven't really looked ready for that top-flight return yet. Following their record-breaking League One title win in 2025, the club were targetting a second successive promotion last season, but they could only finish 10th in the table last time around, and the new season has been slightly hit and miss, with a win and three draws from their opening four games.

And no small part of the problem has come in front of goal. The Blues only managed 57 goals from their 46 Championship matches last time around, and the position has been little better this time around. They've scored five goals in their first four games of this season, but only one of those has come from an attacker in open play.

Following a goalless draw at Sheffield United on the opening weekend of the season, their two goals against Bristol City came from an own goal and a penalty kick, while both of their goals in their next match at Wrexham were scored by centre-back Phil Neumann.

It wasn't until their fourth game against Southampton on the 1st September that August Priske became their first forward to score from open play for them in the League this season.

Zaha's wage requirements may be high, but the club's owners have the financial wherewithal to be able to meet them, and the striker could be an excellent option, should Birmingham City be looking to boost their attacking options as they fight to maintain their recent upward trajectory.

Wrexham

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Wrexham invested heavily in the transfer market over the course of the summer as they sought to maintain their own upward swing, but they didn't spend any of that money on forwards or strikers, and the consequences of that have been stark so far in 2026-27.

The Red Dragons have failed to score more than a single goal in four of their five Championship matches so far in 2026-27, and completely failed to break their opponents' defence in their goalless draw at Swansea City on the 5th September.

Wrexham have a highly-experienced striker leading their front line in the form of Wales international Kieffer Moore, but he's only scored twice in five games for them in the Championship so far this season, and the addition of extra firepower in the form of Zaha could add an extra dimension to their attacking play.

Again, wages shouldn't be too big an issue. The global profile that the club have built since their 2021 takeover by the Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has given Wrexham the means to financially compete at a Championship level.

But it's well-known that the ambitions of the owners of the club are for Wrexham to get into the Premier League, and having someone with 71 career goals in that division is an option that could make a crucial difference between getting there in 2026-27 and narrowly missing out on a play-off place, as they did last season.