Tottenham Hotspur’s expansion plans are bound to make heavy damage to some of the Premier League sides and Crystal Palace being lined to up to suffer the heaviest of blows. Eagles winger, Wilfried Zaha is being heavily targeted by Mauricio Pochettino and the player could well be on his way if a lucrative deal comes in from the North London side.
Reports have flooded in after the 2-1 FA Cup Semi Final loss to Manchester United indicating the demands that the Argentine manager has placed on the Spurs ownership. He is set to be offered a contract extension with a significant pay rise but that will not be enough to keep him unless financial leverage is provided in the summer.
Maybe the Tottenham hierarchy has accepted his demands as further reports were released claiming that the bosses at White Hart Lane will provide a £120m war chest for the coming window. That alone will be enough to buy Zaha three times over and this places Palace in the most uncomfortable spot, especially with the season winding down to a close.
The Ivory Coast international has always been lethal in their final third and is their best offensive threat. They previously lost him to Manchester United but managed to get him back when the 25-year-old’s stint with the Red Devils turned sour within a single season.
Obviously, his departure will have to be addressed with the utmost care and a replacement has to be lined up before July. Here are a few candidates Roy Hodgson should consider.
Xherdan Shaqiri
Stoke City’s season is probably destined to land them in the EFL Championship and Shaqiri will be one of the first names to make a club exit. The Swiss international is simply far too good for the second division and deserves to play in England’s top-flight.
He has stood out in the dimly-lit Potters lineup and has still managed to maintain his quality for his national team. The 26-year-old still has a lot of football left in his boots which could very well be exploited by the Eagles in the coming seasons.
Jese Rodriguez
Adored at Real Madrid but rejected by Paris Saint-Germain and Stoke City over the course of his playing career, Jese Rodriguez is one of the most talented wingers who just have not been able to find a lucrative path.
Still just 25, the Spaniard will be returning to the Parc des Princes after this season and will quite convincingly be just a surplus to PSG’s requirements. Palace could manage to get him for a relatively cheaper rate and Jese might just be able to resurrect his career at Selhurst Park.
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Sofiane Boufal
Southampton are in a similar boat as Stoke and will be looking to offload a few of their luxury parts next summer. Boufal could be the one to leave mostly due to his scarce selection with the Saints side.
