The temptation to move on is obvious, and there won’t be a lack of interest in his services. Wilfried Zaha was once more Crystal Palace’s outstanding player by a significant margin this season as he revived the fortunes of his boyhood club and steered them decisively away from the bottom three.
His electrifying performances have been allied to even greater end product in terms of goals and assists. Where once Zaha could flatter to deceive, he’s now making telling contributions on a regular basis. Palace failed to win a single game without him this season, as his return helped them rise from the lowest depths of the league to finish comfortably in mid-table.
They were goalless and pointless after their first seven games, of which Zaha missed six through injury, but he came back to bewitch the Chelsea defence and score the winner that kick-started their season. Although Roy Hodgson deserves plenty of credit for bringing unity and purpose to a club that was drifting and lacked a clear sense of direction, Zaha was singularly influential on the pitch.
The Ivorian winger has a close connection to Crystal Palace, having grown up in the shadows of Selhurst Park and joined the club’s academy as a 12-year-old. He left for Manchester United, as the final signing of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, but soon returned as he struggled to adapt to the overwhelming demands and expectations at Old Trafford.
The anguish and turmoil of David Moyes’ disastrous time in charge is arguably an unfair lens through which to assess his brief spell at an elite club but unfortunately that’s all we have to go on. Within a year-and-a-half of leaving to go to Manchester, Zaha was back at Palace, initially on loan before the move was made permanent. He’s flourished in the seasons that have followed.
Playing at Palace, in front of adoring fans, Zaha is in his element. Selhurst Park is his home in more ways than one. He’s thrived on the freedom that the club grants him, but also the responsibility that comes with being their star man. Zaha is encouraged to take risks, to experiment, and to generate chances for his team however he can. The concern is that he’s unlikely to find that same supportive and forgiving environment anywhere else.
Zaha is more than good enough to step up to a club competing in the Champions League. He would enliven the attacking options of any of this season’s top four but must be wary of becoming lost in the system again. Older, wiser and more productive than he was when he first joined Manchester United, the fraught experience he had there will nevertheless temper expectations.
The desire for trophies and medals is understandable, and given the vast financial disparities that exist between the big clubs and the rest, it’s only likely to be satisfied by moving on. There’s an expectation that talented players at lesser sides need to leave to fulfil their true potential. That they deserve better and can only achieve that by potentially playing a more marginal role in a trophy-winning team.
It’s an eternal dilemma for those, like Zaha, who are felt to have outgrown the club that brought them to prominence. Riyad Mahrez finds himself in a similar situation yet seems far keener for a change of scenery. For some it works out, for others it stunts their development and inhibits their natural playing style. Zaha is one of the Premier League’s great improvisers, but would be forced to stick more closely to the script at Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.
The very attributes that make him such an enigmatic and entertaining figure would risk being subdued for the sake of the collective. Ultimately it will be a case of what matters more to Zaha and the level he feels he’s capable of reaching. He’s already the best-paid player at Palace, earning around £120,000-a-week, and is unlikely to have his creative whims indulged the same way elsewhere.
If he thinks he can become a main component of a title-challenging team he would be justified in taking that next logical step in his career. If not, he may be happier, more fulfilled and better appreciated by staying put. Somehow, Zaha and Palace just seem like a perfect fit.
