Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha could be sent out on loan with an option to buy amid contract uncertainty.

What's the word?

It's well known that the 30-year-old will see his current deal with the Eagles expire in the summer. As a result, a number of Premier League teams have been linked with a move of late.

For instance, quite recently, Arsenal have been mooted as a possible destination. While talking about the player's future on Curtis Shaw TV, Jacobs said there might not be too much to those rumours.

However, he did suggest that a loan could be on the cards this winter for Zaha, though it remains unclear as to where exactly that would be.

He said (1:02:00): "What we are, I think, moving towards with Zaha is a loan option possibly.

"Someone that wants to come in and give him the opportunity to play football at a high level – in all likelihood, because of the deal [contract] situation – with an option to buy.

"I haven't heard too much with Zaha and Arsenal at the moment.”

Loan for the best

Zaha certainly doesn't look likely to sign a new deal with Palace and so he is actually free to sign a pre-contract to join an overseas club for next season right now.

With that in mind, if the Premier League club do want to get any money for their key man, they may well have to try and sell him immediately.

However, that might not be easy. And so, as Jacobs suggests, the best thing to do could be to loan Zaha out this January with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.

Zaha does have six goals and two assists in the league so far this term too. So if a team is desperate for firepower right now, then they could be tempted to try and strike up a deal.

Still, the ship for all that may have sailed and potential buyers may think it's just better to wait six months and pick the 30-year-old up for free in the summer.