Charlotte, Jan 22 : Charlotte FC have acquired former Premier League forward Wilfried Zaha on loan from Galatasaray until January 17, 2026, with an option to extend the loan through June 30, 2026. Zaha will occupy a Designated Player spot and international roster slot on the Club's 2025 roster.

The Ivory Coast international played 10 seasons in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, Manchester United, and Cardiff City where he scored a total of 68 goals in 305 appearances. Zaha spent most of his career in London with Crystal Palace where he tallied 90 goals and 52 assists across 458 games in all competitions.

He joined the Eagles as an 8-year-old and made his professional debut at the age of 17 in the EFL Championship during the 2009/10 season. Zaha quickly established himself at Selhurst Park the following season, making 41 appearances in the league. The forward's performances in the second tier caught the eye of Manchester United, who signed him during the January window in 2013, although he remained at Palace on loan for the remainder of the season.

His six goals and seven assists in the 2012/13 season helped Palace to a berth in the EFL Championship Playoffs. The forward scored two goals for the Eagles in the second leg of a semifinal matchup against Brighton & Hove Albion en route to a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004/05. Zaha made four appearances for United before heading on loan to Cardiff City where he featured 13 times in all competitions. He returned to Palace on loan for the 2014/15 season before sealing a permanent move back to Selhurst Park in 2015.

The forward rose to stardom during the 2016/17 Premier League season when he scored seven goals and added nine assists. He went on to have four more 12+ goal contribution seasons in the Premier League with a career-high 14 goals in 2021/22. Zaha ended his time in London having played the third most matches in Crystal Palace history (458) and 10th in goals scored (90).

The Ivorian joined Turkish giants Galatasaray in the summer of 2023. He made 43 appearances across all competitions where he scored 10 goals and added five assists during the Club's title-winning campaign.

Following one match in the TFF Super Kupa with Galatasaray at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, the forward was sent on a brief loan spell with Lyon of the French topflight. With the Ligue 1 side, Zaha appeared in six total matches, including two appearances in the UEFA Europa League where he provided an assist in a 2-0 victory over Olympiacos.

On the international stage, Zaha represented England at the youth level before earning a call-up to the senior team for a friendly match against Sweden in November 2012. He made a second appearance for the Three Lions in August 2013 against Scotland but never featured in a competitive fixture for England.

Zaha switched his national team allegiance to the Ivory Coast, the nation where he was born, ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut in a friendly against Sweden in January 2017 where he registered an assist and has since earned 33 caps, having netted a total of four goals and provided six assists.

/IANS