Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha was one of the players whose future at his current club was most in doubt this summer. Reportedly, both Chelsea and Tottenham saw big-money bids rejected by the Eagles for Zaha.
There was also speculation that Zaha wanted to leave the South London club. When boss Roy Hodgson stated that the 25-year-old had not told him he wanted to leave, many believed the former England boss was telling fibs.
However, it seems that good old Roy may have been telling the truth about Zaha’s situation at Palace, as the forward has signed a contract extension with Palace until 2023.
Zaha is the undoubted star at Palace
Wilfried Zaha is no doubt finally starting to fulfil his potential at Crystal Palace. At 25, he is showing signs of the player many thought he would develop into. Zaha missed the beginning of last season and the Eagles experienced a torrid start to their campaign.
However, the arrival of the Hodgson as boss and Zaha’s return from injury helped the Eagles rise from the rock bottom of the table and survive relegation. Zaha scored ten Premier League goals and produced three assists last season, which in terms of goals was his most prolific campaign in the top-flight.
The Ivory Coast international has already opened his account for the Premier League campaign, having scored in the Eagles 2-0 opening weekend victory at London rivals Fulham.
Palace the best place for Zaha
While Zaha is probably ready to play at a higher level, such as in the Champions League, the forward has already played for a high profile club in Manchester United. Maybe his time at Old Trafford has taught him that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Zaha is a far better and more mature player than the youngster who failed to impress in Manchester. The forward is simply a better player courtesy of the invaluable experience he has gained actually playing first-team football at Palace.
There lies the big attraction of playing for a lower profile club like Palace. With the Eagles, he is a vital player to the team and loved by the fans. If he moved to a bigger club, there would be a lesser chance of him starting every game.
Zaha is a big fish in a small pond. At a Chelsea or a Tottenham, he would be a small fish in a big pond. The move looks like a shrewd one on the part of all parties involved. No doubt the forward got a big pay rise with the extension of his deal, while Palace protected their investment.
Palace should stay clear of relegation fight this season
Although some see the Eagles as a team that could be sucked into the relegation dogfight, I can see a more stable season ahead for Roy Hodgson and his team than last season. Palace are odds of 8/1 to suffer relegation this season. However, it seems that the bookmakers do not believe the Eagles will go down. In fact, ten teams are now shorter odds for the drop than Hodgson’s side this season.
The Eagles may not have spent a fortune in the summer, but they did strengthen a rather small squad. However, the best piece of business they could have conducted this summer was nailing down Zaha.
Contracts mean very little in football, but the forward signing a new deal was a sign that he is happy to remain at Selhurst Park and continue to star for the Eagles. He can now concentrate on playing and the speculation can at least die down until January when the transfer window opens again.
Has Zaha made the right decision by signing a new deal with Palace?
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