"Vieira will be desperate..." - Journalist drops big Crystal Palace verdict on £130k-p/w star

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is “desperate” to keep talisman Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park beyond this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The £34.2m-rated forward has entered the final 12 months of his Eagles contract and is once again being linked away from his boyhood club.

For the umpteenth transfer window on the bounce, the 29-year-old is being touted with a switch away from Palace, although this time it could have legs given Zaha is set to become a free agent next summer.

It’s been almost four years since the ex-Manchester United star signed a new deal and while the Eagles won’t want to sell their best player, they will be cautious of losing him for nothing in 2023.

Back in April, the Daily Mail reported that Palace were open to offers for Zaha this summer, while the same outlet believe that Jose Mourinho’s Roma are currently ‘monitoring developments‘.

The report states that Mourinho is an admirer of Zaha, who was linked with a move to Tottenham back in 2021 soon after the Special One’s sacking.

Regardless, O’Rourke reckons Vieira won’t want to lose Zaha, who’s been at the heart of almost everything successful in recent years at Palace.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “It wouldn’t be a transfer window without Wilfried Zaha’s name popping up as he gets linked probably every summer.

“But Vieira will be desperate to keep him, he’s trying to build something at Crystal Palace right now and Zaha is one of the more experienced players at Selhurst Park, while he’s got all of the younger players around him as well.”

Despite Palace no longer solely relying on Zaha to win games, he still remains arguably the most influential player at the club.

Michael Olise enjoyed a productive first campaign at top-flight level,