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.