Crystal Palace may finally have to deal with losing their star man this summer

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It’s become clear over time that Man United didn’t really have a plan for Wilfried Zaha and the transfer probably came too soon, but he’s been the obvious standout for Crystal Palace in recent years and he would be good enough for any team in the league.

Every summer seems to come with the inevitable rumours about his exit and it doesn’t quite happen, so you have to wonder what will happen this time round.

At the age of 28 he’s reaching that point where this could be his last chance to seal a massive move, while it could also be the last chance for Palace to get the best price for him too.

He’s a player who does need his pace to thrive so his price tag will reduce as he nears the age of 30, although he’s never had any real injury issues so there’s no reason to think he’ll decline that quickly.

A report from Give Me Sport has looked at the possibility of Zaha finally moving on in the summer, and some quotes from the manager do suggest that he’s bracing himself for the possibility:

“I think when the market opens up again, Wilf Zaha will again be a name on many managers’ and sporting directors’ lips and Wilf will retain his ambition of playing Champions League football and doing things we have not been able to give him while he has been playing here.

“He is good enough to play at other clubs, but also he is a player we would really like to keep here because he has been so important for us and he is very important to all the fans and everyone around the club.”

It’s also suggested that Palace do need to refresh the squad and the money from selling Zaha would allow them to do that, but you never want to see a quality player go.

It could also depend on which clubs are interested as it would be a shame to see him move if he’s not a regular starting option, while he would also need to be sure that he would be played in a system that allows him to thrive.

At Palace it’s all built around him and he’s allowed to make mistakes because they recognise his ability to create chaos, but he could end up playing within himself if he’s now allowed the same freedom elsewhere.

It’s clear that the rumours of an exit this summer will be inevitable again, but time will tell if they actually come true.

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