In a recent report from Daily Mail, it was stated that Barcelona are lining up a move for Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace as a replacement for Ferran Torres who has been out of favor at Camp Nou. It is understood that the Catalan club could make a move for Zaha if they successfully sell Torres this January which comes as a shock as the winger enters the final months of his contract at Selhurst Park.
Zaha’s Impressive Run Of Form For Crystal Palace This Season
Zaha has had a brilliant start to this season as he has produced some impressive displays down the left flank of the attacking third. He has managed to find the back of the net on six occasions and created two assists over fifteen appearances in the Premier League this season.
The Ivory Coast international has been consistent and reliable in the final third after averaging 1.7 tackles, 2.4 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game in the English first division. He has also been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 83.1 % of his attempted passes in the English top flight (stats via whoscored).
Is He A Decent Fit For Xavi At The Nou Camp?
Zaha is a really hard worker on and off the pitch, he has the ability to track back on defence and doesn’t mind putting his foot into a tackle despite being a winger. Furthermore, he can make some dangerous runs down the left flank being a menace for his markers out in the wide areas. He remains an attacking threat inside the penalty box as he can find the back of the net with ease, remaining calm and composed when isolated against the opponent’s shot-stopper.
At 30, he still has a few years left in him to play at a high level and could certainly bring more firepower into Barcelona’s attacking department. So Xavi has been wise to identify him as a possible replacement for Ferran Torres. With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, it should not be difficult for the Spanish outfit to get him aboard if they offer the right price.
However, Zaha will have significantly less playtime at Camp Nou compared to his current club as the competition remains high within the Spanish giants since Xavi has several attackers at his disposal. So he will have to keep performing in order to be in favour of the Spanish tactician or else we could only expect him to provide support from the bench over the coming years.
