Wilfried Zaha looks set to reject an offer worth a staggering £30m a year to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr but Luka Modric is considering a move to the Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal after more than a decade at Real Madrid.
Zaha, who will be a free agent when his contract with Crystal Palace expires at the end of the month, held more talks with Al-Nassr last week as they attempt to improve their squad after missing out on the Saudi title to Al-Ittihad. The 30-year-old is being offered a two-year contract worth about three times the £200,000 a week on the table from Palace, but it is understood he would prefer to stay in Europe. He has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain in recent days.
The French champions are yet to submit an offer to the Ivory Coast international but informal talks with his representatives are believed to have taken place. Reports in France on Sunday claimed that PSG’s football adviser Luis Campos was an admirer of Zaha’s “game changing” ability. Marseille are also believed to be interested.
Zaha missed the end of the Premier League season with a hamstring injury but is understood to be almost back to full fitness. The four-year offer from Palace would make him by far the highest-paid player in the club’s history. It remains to be seen whether Zaha will remain at Palace, who are yet to confirm whether Roy Hodgson will be offered another year in charge after steering them to safety.
Modric, who joined Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 for £30m and has won the Champions League five times, had looked set to agree a year’s extension to his contract. It is understood the Croatia midfielder is Al-Hilal’s main target after they missed out on Lionel Messi. He is expected to be offered a two-year deal worth about £60m a season.
Steven Gerrard has flown to Saudi Arabia for talks after being offered the chance to coach Al-Ettifaq. The 43-year-old, sacked by Aston Villa in October, could take over at the club that finished seventh in the Saudi Pro League, which will expand to 18 teams next season.
The Saudi sovereign wealth fund which owns Newcastle, the Public Investment Fund, is taking 75% stakes in four of the country’s clubs: Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad. Al-Ittihad have signed Karim Benzema after he left Real Madrid. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino – who is out of contract with Liverpool – are among the other star names targeted by Saudi clubs.
