Chelsea retain an interest in signing Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace and have spoken to intermediaries about the possibility of a deal next summer.

The Independent understands that Federico Pastorello, who counts Romelu Lukaku among his clients, has spoken to Chelsea’s director of football Marina Granovskaia about orchestrating the winger’s move.

Chelsea have long held an interest in the 27-year-old, whose contract at Crystal Palace runs until the summer of 2023, despite signing Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund and Callum Hudson-Odoi recently committing to a new long-term contract.

Zaha left his previous agency, Unique Sports Management, after a potential move to Arsenal fell through in the summer, with the player desperate to play Champions League football.

Palace played hardball throughout the past window over his transfer with the club’s chairman Steve Parish refusing to sell, despite Arsenal offering a lucrative structured payment deal.

Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Show all 7 1 /7 Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Chelsea's hardest and easiest Champions League draws Chelsea are back in Europe's top competition after their brief hiatus, but without Eden Hazard. Here are the hardest and easiest options available to the Blues. Getty Images Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Hardest from pot 2: Atletico Madrid The worst match stylistically for Chelsea, with Diego Simeone's side almost the opposite of Frank Lampard's in terms of organisation. Alvaro Morata would have a point to prove, while Joao Felix looks set to break out (again) to become the finest young player in Europe after Kylian Mbappe. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Hardest from pot 3: Inter Milan Antonio Conte's presence alone should make Inter a side to avoid, but with Romelu Lukaku happier now and feeling loved, plus a sturdy defence led by Milan Skriniar, they are a side on the up. AP Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Hardest from pot 4: Galatasaray A lengthy trip and notoriously difficult atmosphere to negotiate. Fatih Terim's side have a number of highly talented players capable of upsetting more fancied sides this season. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Easiest from pot 2: Benfica Already beaten by fierce rivals Porto this season, the Blues have happy memories of facing the Portuguese giants: beating them on the way to winning this competition, as well as their Europa League final win a year later in 2013. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Easiest from pot 3: Club Brugge A short trip to face Simon Mignolet's new side, who lost star striker Wesley and midfielder Marvelous Nakamba this summer to Aston Villa, with winger Arnaut Danjuma also departing for Bournemouth. They will prove more attractive than Inter, Valencia, Lyon and Leverkusen, who are all lurking in pot three. Bongarts/Getty Images Chelsea's toughest and easiest Champions League draws Easiest from pot 4: Slavia Prague Safely negotiated last season in the Europa League, Lampard, while not there, would surely settle for this with his players familiar with the Czech side. Getty Images

Arsenal instead signed Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m, while Everton also saw a bid for Zaha rejected.

When asked about the possibility of Zaha’s transfer saga spilling into the January transfer window, Palace manager Roy Hodgson said: “As I’ve said on many occasions, when you have a player of that quality, it’s not surprising when they’re coveted.

“But he’s a Crystal Palace player, he’s under contract to us. No one here is anxious or desirous to sell him. But sometimes bids come in which are very difficult for the clubs to deal with.

“The speculation doesn’t interest me at all. I’ve been here two and a bit years now and there’s been speculation about him from the very moment I stepped through the door.