Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could end up signing a new contract and ‘staying for longer’, according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

The 29-year-old has entered the final year of his existing £130,000-per-week deal, sparking speculation that he could depart Selhurst Park for the second time in his career for a fresh challenge.

What is the latest news involving Zaha?

Jack Rosser, also of The Sun, recently revealed that Palace have offered Zaha fresh terms in the hope of retaining his services for the foreseeable future.

It’s unknown at this moment in time whether the Ivory Coast international intends to put pen to paper on the contract proposal but talks are said to have been ongoing for over a year now.

Palace have rejected approaches from the likes of Arsenal and Everton in the past, while Zaha has been open in his desire to play Champions League football and challenge for silverware.

And The Guardian’s Ed Aarons disclosed towards the end of the summer transfer window that the immensely talented attacker had ‘been discussed’ by Chelsea as a potential target.

The west London outfit opted to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead, though, and Zaha may now be tempted to stay loyal to his boyhood club as he approaches the final stages of his career.

What has Barclay said about Zaha?

Barclay has informed GiveMeSport that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Zaha did commit his future to the south London outfit as they are moving in the right direction under manager Patrick Vieira.

He said: “He's an absolute Palace legend. Palace are going all kinds of the right direction at the moment, and as Jack reports, there is a contract offer on the table for him.

“So, I wouldn't be surprised if he did end up signing and staying for longer, which would be obviously fantastic news from Palace’s perspective.”

How important is Zaha to Palace?

Zaha achieved his highest goals tally for a single season last time out, finding the back of the net on 15 occasions in 37 appearances across all competitions.

And he has started the current campaign in an equally impressive fashion, bagging four goals in Palace’s opening five Premier League games, highlighting his prominent role in the side.

As per WhoScored, Zaha has also averaged three shots, 1.4 key passes, and 2.2 dribbles per top-flight fixture, placing him in the top two for each metric amongst his teammates.

Only time will tell where Zaha will be plying his trade next term, but Vieira and co. will surely be hoping he remains at Palace and continues to lead their resurgence.