June 17 2021

Wilfried Zaha

After almost a decade of loyal service, Wilfried Zaha could be about to leave Selhurst Park for the second time, writes Ollie Beaumont.

With the Ivorian forward looking to play in Europe, and to take his game to the next level, could this finally be the summer in which we see him make the switch, or will his love affair with his childhood club rumble on for another season at the very least?

Why now?

Zaha has remained a tremendously loyal player to Crystal Palace ever since the winger returned to Selhurst Park on a permanent basis in 2015. In the elapsing years since, numerous clubs from around Europe and the Premier League have been interested in luring him away from South London, but to little avail.

However, with Zaha now 28, time is running out for the player if he does hope to reach the pinnacle of the game and appear in competitions like the Champions League on a regular basis.

He had an opportunity to do exactly that as a much younger player when he was transferred to Manchester United in 2013 for a fee believed to be in the region of £10 million.

The big-money move didn’t work out for a variety of reasons, meaning that Zaha played just two games for the Red Devils over the course of two seasons. Undeterred, he returned to Crystal Palace, and soon re-established himself as a winger of true quality, becoming arguably the best player outside of the Premier League’s big six clubs.

It’s hard to imagine that the club would have survived in the Premier League for the past six years without Zaha – which is exactly why Palace will still be very reluctant to let him leave.

For Zaha, by contrast, the realisation is setting in that he isn’t getting any younger and may now have to force a move if he truly wants to play at the elite level. Presently, Everton are the current favourites to sign Zaha at 7/2, and you can bet on this football coupon over at Boylesports.com.

How the manager will play a factor

It’s set to be a summer of upheaval and instability for Crystal Palace, with long-term manager Roy Hodgson leaving the club after four years as manager.

During the former England boss’ time in charge, Palace established themselves as a mid-table Premier League club, so his departure has the very real potential to destabilise things somewhat. With this in mind, it’s unsurprising that Zaha is unwilling to put his faith in a new manager, who risks taking the club backwards.

Can Palace make a step up?

One additional complication if Palace do reluctantly let Zaha go, is the amount of money that his former club, Manchester United, will receive as a result. According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United placed a sell-on clause on the deal which would see his former employers receive 25 per cent of any future transfer fee – should he move on this summer. With that in mind, Palace chairman Steve Parish will be keen to extract as much money out of the deal as they possibly can.

He wants to take his game to a new level

It has long been suggested that Zaha has simply outgrown Palace. His performance levels have been exemplary, as at times, he has carried the club to new heights that were otherwise unimaginable.

But for Zaha to win the kind of accolades that his natural ability should garner, he might have to move to a club where he is surrounded by a higher calibre of player, as there’s every chance that this will help him unlock as yet untapped potential. Having already given Palace the best years of his career, few would hold it against Zaha for wanting to test himself at the very highest level.

Summary

Some cynics may claim that he already failed his big club audition, after making only two appearances for United during his time there. However, Zaha was just 20-years-old when he joined them as a raw winger, a far cry from the complete footballer we see in the Premier League today.

With European giants like Borussia Dortmund and Monaco both reportedly keen on the forward, now could be the perfect time for Zaha to take a leap into the unknown – only this time, the result might be very different indeed.