Charlotte FC's Wilfried Zaha contract situation: "We plan to speak more in depth properly after preseason"
- Brian Maurer
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Brian Maurer
Charlotte FC's star winger, Wilfried Zaha (33), is entering the final months of his contract, which expires in June. TopBin90's Jorge Gonzales asked the Ivory Coast international how conversations regarding a new contract were going. Zaha mentioned that he had spoken with Charlotte FC General Manager Zoran Krneta, but that more proper contract discussions would happen at the end of preseason.
The former Crystal Palace legend mentioned he was open to the possibility of staying, but didn't give away too much more in terms of which way he was leaning. Zaha mentioned both parties would have to sit down "...and find out if we can come to some sort of agreement."
When asked how things appeared to be shaping up, Zaha said, "That I don't know, we will have to have the talk." It is worth saying that the winger mentioned his son liked his school here, and that there were definitely positives of being here that he was going to consider.
He spoke like a measured professional who knew how discussions can go and that nothing is certain when it comes to sports and contract negotiations.
According to Barron's, Zaha signed a three-year deal worth 15.4m euros (~$18m) in 2023. If that is the number Zaha is looking for to continue in Charlotte than that would put him in the range of a top 10 player salary in all of MLS, based on MLSPA's 2025 salary guide.
There are two other caveats to note that the club will likely be considering when coming to the table with Zaha's camp. One is MLS will be shifting to a summer-to-spring calendar in 2027, meaning league transfer windows will align with the top leagues around the world. That transfer window alignment begins this summer, and could mean players become available that wouldn't otherwise.
A second is that the current CBA is set to expire at the end of 2027, which means new roster and salary cap rules could be coming.
All of this is to say that the first half of Charlotte's season gets a whole lot more interesting the longer negotiations go on without a resolution.