Loan Deal sealed as Zaha seal deal few hours to Deadline players next destination revealed to be…..
A deal has reportedly been reached for Ivory Coast international Wilfried Zaha to move to Ligue 1, following discussions between Lyon’s owner, John Textor, and Zaha earlier this week. Textor, who is also the majority shareholder at Crystal Palace but is seeking to sell his 45% stake to facilitate a potential takeover of Everton, is believed to have played a significant role in the negotiations with Galatasaray.
Under the terms of the deal, Lyon will not pay a loan fee but will cover most of Zaha’s wages, which are understood to be around £130,000 per week. Zaha has fallen out of favor in Turkey despite contributing to Galatasaray’s league title win last season after departing from Crystal Palace the previous summer.
Both Crystal Palace and Leicester City had discussions with the 31-year-old regarding a potential return to the Premier League, with Palace chairman Steve Parish expressing a desire to bring Zaha back “in a heartbeat.” However, it is understood that any move to an English club would have subjected Zaha to income tax in both the UK and Turkey, which complicated these potential deals.
Crystal Palace, who are expected to announce the signings of Eddie Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix on deadline day, had also been monitoring Lyon’s Rayan Cherki. Although Fulham showed interest in the France Under-21 forward, Cherki is now set to sign a new three-year contract with Lyon after rejoining first-team training on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Lyon has allowed Orel Mangala to join Everton on a season-long loan, while Ghanaian midfielder Ernest Nuamah has turned down a move to an unnamed Premier League club.
**Lee Carsley on England’s Future under His Leadership**
Interim England manager Lee Carsley has expressed his desire to see the national team adopt a more expansive and attacking style of play as he leads the squad through the Nations League campaign. However, he made it clear that he has no aspirations to take on the role permanently, stating that he would be happy to return to his previous role as the Under-21s coach after his six-game stint.
Carsley did not apply to succeed Gareth Southgate but is viewed as the Football Association’s preferred candidate. He emphasized his vision for the team, saying, “I want our players to be on the ball, I want our team to attack. I want us to be expansive,” and noted the importance of “putting our own mark on the squad.”
His first 26-man squad for the upcoming matches against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin and Finland at Wembley includes several fresh faces, such as former Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes (now at Lille), Chelsea’s Levi Colwill and Noni Madueke, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
Returning to the squad are Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish, and goalkeeper Nick Pope, while notable omissions include Kyle Walker, James Maddison, Marcus Rashford, and Ivan Toney. Injuries have sidelined Jude Bellingham, Luke Shaw, and Jarrad Branthwaite, and 33-year-old Kieran Trippier has announced his retirement from international football. Adam Wharton returns to the England Under-21s, and both Lewis Dunk and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale have been dropped.
Carsley noted the high expectations now placed on England, given the quality of players available, and emphasized that the next permanent England manager’s goal will be to win a tournament. While he was non-committal about his interest in taking on the role full-time, he expressed pride in his current position and a focus on doing the best job possible in the interim.