Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison has urged Steve Parish to tie Wilfried Zaha down to a new contract at the club so that the winger can finish his career at Selhurst Park.
The 29-year-old scored his tenth goal of the season in Sunday’s 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton and will be entering the final year of his current deal in SE25 this summer. The Eagles are reportedly keen to keep hold of Zaha but as of yet, he is yet to sign an extension to his contract which could mean he’ll be open to offers in the next transfer window.
Whether he’ll be able to secure a move to a side at the top of the Premier League is another question, though Morrison - Palace’s joint-fifth all-time top goalscorer - says Zaha’s worth to the Eagles goes beyond what he offers on the pitch and that he should be tied down to a new deal as soon as possible.
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“Wilf's at an age now where he's got to have a look and weigh up his options,” said Morrison, speaking courtesy of FreeSuperTips. “Will he be able to get a move to one of those top four teams? I feel with Patrick Viera there, then they've got a great opportunity of keeping Wilfred Zaha because I think he will improve him. Even at his age, he can still get better, you never stop learning until you're finished playing.
“It's a big decision for him, every year when the transfer window comes around, we're always talking about whether he'll stay or go. Hopefully, he will stay at this football club because he looks as if he's enjoying it at the moment. If I'm the chairman of Crystal Palace, then I'm getting Wilfred Zaha to sign a new deal because it'll help some of the youngsters there as well.
“There's Michael Olise who's been outstanding, Conor Gallagher, who I know is a Chelsea player, but if they can keep him for another year and then the likes of Ebere Eze as well. There's a lot of talented youngsters that look up to Wilfred Zaha, so for me personally, I'd be offering him a new contract and seeing his career out here.”
Vieira has ramped up his praise of Zaha since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, with the winger currently enjoying his best form of the season with four goals and one assist in his last six matches for the club. After he scored twice to help down Watford 4-1 at Vicarage Road, Vieira said Zaha had just played his best game while working under his management before adding that he thought his number 11 was currently playing at the peak of his powers.
“Wilfried is at home at Palace,” he told reporters last month. “He's been really good for the club and I strongly believe he still has a lot to give. Since he came back from AFCON he has wanted to take the team forward, and the team have responded well to him.”
But it won’t all come down to what Vieira wants. Sporting director Dougie Freedman and chairman Parish handle contract negotiations and will be sitting down with Zaha’s representatives to find a solution. Vieira’s input in this process is to communicate how he feels about his players on a case by case basis. With Zaha, it’s clear that the Eagles boss is much happier when he has him in his team.
“There is a process in place where we talk with Dougie and the chairman about how we see the players,” the Frenchman told football.london . “But the contracts are Dougie and the chairman’s responsibility. I want to focus on what is going on in the field - that is what is important to me. At the same time, the conversation with the chairman and Dougie is there and it’s important for them to understand how I feel and how I see the player.”
