Charlotte FC acquired veteran forward Wilfried Zaha on loan from Turkish powerhouse Galatasary on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Ivory Coast international joins the MLS club through January 2026 with an option to extend the loan to June of that year.

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.