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Wilfried Zaha

Hitch

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Jan 4, 2012
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Anybody get the feeling that this could be the guy referenced in the ITK chat about someone who we looked at, became unavailable and is available again?

I suggested exactly this when info to that effect cropped up a couple of weeks ago, though I suspect now it probably isn't the case as would expect something to have leaked in the meantime were it so. That said, I still don't believe it entirely illogical that Palace might have changed their stance on Zaha, primarily due to how clearly ill-fitted their squad is for De Boer's needs. Given their bad start it's conceivable that the reality may now be hitting home with management and, more importantly, ownership that a couple of old school wingers alongside an unrefined big man upfront is simply not going to work within the system they want to play (might conceivably go some way towards explaining Herc's Benteke mention too).

Ultimately I expect still that Steve Parish's ego would preclude the possibility of Zaha being sold at this stage but, were I De Boer, I could see great sense in selling him off in favour of replacing with two better suited £20m players.
 
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Danners9

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As well as recently signing a new, big, contract, he's also injured: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/aug/15/wilfried-zaha-crystal-palace-out-four-weeks

Palace are talking to Leicester about selling Townsend, 27m mentioned the other day :eek: but now the papers say money plus Demarai Gray. Would be madness to sell an injured Zaha so soon after signing his new contract, given what else is going on at the club with the manager situation. Unless they've got 5-10 new players coming in, selling their best one would be monumentally stupid.
 

Hitch

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Jan 4, 2012
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As well as recently signing a new, big, contract, he's also injured: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/aug/15/wilfried-zaha-crystal-palace-out-four-weeks

Palace are talking to Leicester about selling Townsend, 27m mentioned the other day :eek: but now the papers say money plus Demarai Gray. Would be madness to sell an injured Zaha so soon after signing his new contract, given what else is going on at the club with the manager situation. Unless they've got 5-10 new players coming in, selling their best one would be monumentally stupid.

Why would a 4 week long injury make much of a difference?

New contract signed yes, but things can change quickly and I don't think Zaha suits De Boer's mode of play at all well. Given Palace could probably pull in somewhere in the region of £45-50m for him in the current stupid market, I could absolutely see the sense in selling to replace with 2-3 £15-20m players who are better suited to the system.

Not that I think it's likely, I just believe it as a realistic possibility. In the end would probably come down to how much the chairmanship believes in De Boer, and clearly his poor start doesn't bode too well on that account. Who knows though, maybe Parish is better sold on the project than we would anticipate?
 

Danners9

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Mar 30, 2004
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Why would a 4 week long injury make much of a difference?

New contract signed yes, but things can change quickly and I don't think Zaha suits De Boer's mode of play at all well. Given Palace could probably pull in somewhere in the region of £45-50m for him in the current stupid market, I could absolutely see the sense in selling to replace with 2-3 £15-20m players who are better suited to the system.

Not that I think it's all that likely, I just believe it as a realistic possibility. In the end would probably come down to how much the chairmanship believes in De Boer, and clearly his poor start does not bode well on that account.

Just a fact that he's injured and wouldn't be able to play straight away. If Spurs have doubts over Barkley, then they would also have doubts over a 45-50m player who signs with an injury. If Spurs still want him, he'll be around in January and if Palace are going to struggle, they may be better off dealing to fund a survival bid rather than selling their best player a month after he signed a new deal - amid Spurs interest at the time, and (according to posts on here) a really low wage offer from Spurs.
 

Arthur Hucksake

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Aug 17, 2013
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Zaha is one of the best "dribble completionists" in Europe, apparently. We need someone to get the ball up the pitch fast.
 

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
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Besides anything else, he only recently signed a new contract and Parish will still have a bee in his bonnet over the (from his point of view) derisory offers from last time so it would take something silly to prise him away (I'm quite sure that he would join like a shot if he could though).
 
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