Manchester City has joined the race with other Premier League cups in their pursuit of Crystal Palace star, Wilfried Zaha. The Ivorian international’s feat in a Palace jersey has been nothing short of magnificent for the past 2 seasons and is one of the best players at the club under Roy Hodgson.
Tagged for a price of £40m, Pep Guardiola is considering Zaha as a possible alternative to Alexis Sanchez if they fail to get him in January. It is kind of a co-dependent horse race with Zaha’s future heavily relying on that of the Chilean.
Sanchez is unhappy at Arsenal and is eager to join Guardiola’s side and ensure silverware at the end of the season. He was already disappointed when he was not allowed to leave in the summer, but judging from his drop in enthusiasm to play for the North-London club it would be wise to cash in on him and find a replacement in January.
Wenger had previously pursued Zaha in 2013 only to be beaten by Alex Ferguson’s £15m bid and opting to play for the Red Devils. Zaha’s stint at Manchester United did not go according to plans falling out of favour with the newly appointed manager, David Moyes even before the season started. He registered only 4 appearances under him before eventually returning to his boyhood club.
Zaha also highlighted his mature side after consistent performances for Palace last season to dig themselves out of relegation zone by the end of the season. He registered 7 goals and 11 assists last season. However, he started off the current campaign with a knee injury and took some time to find his way back into the game.
The 25-year-old is currently the top goalscorer for the Eagles with 4 goals in 12 Premier League appearances. He was unstoppable in their last fixture against Leicester City and netted the second goal in a 0-3 win to secure the 14th spot ahead of West Ham United.
Zaha is as flamboyant and shifty as any winger can get. With an arsenal of skills and bolstering pace, he is a defender’s nightmare on his best days and deserves a second shot at an elite level club. He might not replicate the exact gameplay of Sanchez in the creative aspect but will provide a different factor to Arsene Wenger’s team. The real question is whether the Frenchman will be ready to pay the hefty price tag come January.
