Earlier this summer Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha asked to leave the Eagles in search of Champions League football in season 2019/20.
The decision was not a massive surprise considering the player’s previously stated ambitions to play at the top level of European football. He is no doubt too good to be playing for a club with ambitions to just avoid relegation from the top-flight every season.
Palace do not want to sell
Rather unsurprisingly Crystal Palace are not keen on selling their most potent attacking threat this summer. This had led to reports that the Eagles are looking for between £70-90million for the forward this summer.
Highly-rated young full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka also in demand this summer with some of the Premier League’s big clubs. Reports suggest that the Eagles will not part company with both players, but would only sell one of their star assets.
In reality, Palace probably does not need to sell any of their players. They are an established Premier League club, which usually means they have a good cash reserve. The club from the English capital may not need or want to sell the pair, but they will not want unhappy players at their club either.
Zaha is ready for a big move
Wilfried Zaha is a player who seems ready to make the step-up to a big club, and in turn, play Champions League football in the near future. Zaha has already experienced a failed spell at a big club earlier in his career at Manchester United. However, he was a youngster, who spent most of his United time out on loan.
A return to his boyhood club helped him revive his career. In fact, the 26-year-old has thrived in a struggling team in recent seasons, producing decent statistics in the process. As Palace’s biggest attacking asset, he played both as a central striker and in his more natural position of out wide. His versatility will certainly be appealing for potential buyers.
Tottenham and United the favourites to sign Zaha
It seems that Manchester United are interested in resigning the Ivory Coast international, as are Tottenham. However, the favourites to sign the forward are actually Arsenal.
It is slightly ironic that two of Zaha’s potential suitors will not be playing in the Champions League next season, just like his current club Palace. They will, however, be playing in the Europa League. They obviously also have a better chance of making Europe’s elite competition in the near future than Palace.
A move to the likes of United or Arsenal would definitely be a step-up. However, people would obviously question any move that did not involve a club in the Champions League.
It is hard to see Wilfried Zaha remaining at Palace this summer after stating he wants to leave this summer. Eagles fans would obviously welcome him staying and having a change of heart, though.
Wilfried Zaha’s future may be one of the longest-running transfer stories of the summer. However, it seems pretty sure that the forward will get the big move he desires, even if his destination is unknown at this moment in time.
Where will Wilfried Zaha be plying his trade next season?
