Former Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha was acquired by Charlotte on a loan from Turkish club Galatasaray on Wednesday until next Jan. 17. Charlotte said it has the option to extend the loan through June 30, 2026. Zaha will be a designated player whose compensation and acquisition cost exceed the $743,750 salary budget charge maximum.

This, in all, appeared to have Zaha take stock and weigh the possibility of moving on. Word eventually made it the desk of Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta that he wasn’t opposed to learning more about Major League Soccer. That’s when Krneta began to fall in love with the idea.

Former Crystal Palace and Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha has completed a surprise loan move from Galatasaray to MLS side Charlotte FC. The deal will expire in January 2026 but Charlotte have the option to extend through to June, should Zaha prove a successful acquisition.

Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace star, is shaking things up in his career with a move to Major League Soccer’s Charlotte FC. Known for his electric footwork

Charlotte FC has averaged 68,705 fans at its three home openers since joining MLS in 2022. That's impressive for an expansion team and nearly equal to the Panthers average of 71,708 fans over the same period. MLS does a great job with the fan experience. pic.twitter.com/47tw1iei1H

Former Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has been acquired by Charlotte on a loan from Turkish club Galatasaray until next Jan. 17

Wilfried Zaha has joined MLS club Charlotte FC on a year-long loan from Galatasaray. The 32-year-old will play for Charlotte throughout the 2025 season with his contract at the U.S. club running through to January 17,