“I think it’s time for a big team to take a chance on Zaha” claims former Palace midfielder

Ex-Crystal Palace midfielder John Salako has revealed he wouldn’t begrudge Wilfried Zaha a move away from Selhurst Park.

Zaha’s future has been the source of constant speculation seemingly every transfer window since he returned from his ill-fated stint at Manchester United. This January window has proved no different, his name being linked with most of the top six sides.

Palace fans had to endure the entire summer with their star man reportedly departing for The Emirates, until Arsenal opted for Zaha’s international teammate Nicolas Pepe. Chelsea are the latest club rumoured to be interested, and Zaha’s superb performance Saturday afternoon will do little to quash reports of a potential departure.

The Eagles number 11 was a constant menace against a City side that clearly couldn’t deal with him, proving essential in his side’s hard-earned point in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad.

Ex-Palace player John Salako spoke to Love Sport Breakfast to reveal his views on Zaha’s future; “I can’t see him leaving this window, we went into this window thinking he’d obviously like to go, he’d like to go and play Champions League football and he deserves that and as we said Palace fans would wish him well if he wanted to do that.”

Salako claimed bigger sides may have reservations over Zaha’s tactical discipline in more rigid systems “His stint at United will certainly be in people’s minds, I think because he’s given that free role at palace, The way he plays is very much off the cuff.”

“I would say for the bigger sides - coming in there and understanding that tactical role, we could talk about the Champions League and in the big games maybe they would worry about him tactically.”

Ultimately, Salako thinks the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to the Ivorian, “I think he just offers so much going forward, his physicality and feet and the way he makes goals - he could easily do that for a big team. I think it’s time for a big team to take a chance on him, at an Arsenal or Chelsea he’d thrive.”

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