Manchester City: Wilfried Zaha emerges as transfer target for Pep Guardiola?
Wilfried Zaha has led the Eagles of Crystal Palace to soar above the drop zone. Manchester City and others have reportedly taken notice.
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Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is a stud. So much so, bigger clubs, including Manchester City, reportedly covet him.
The Sun reports Zaha’s excellent run of form is impressing the likes of Pep Guardiola. Apparently, he is a “shock target” but a target nonetheless for City’s boss.
There is undeniably a poetic irony and symmetry to the rumor: Zaha, who fell out of favor at Manchester United, returned to Selhurst Park and now can return to Manchester for the Citizens.
There also is some plausibility here too. Pep Guardiola has gone on record as wanting more English or homegrown players on the squad. Although Zaha defected from England’s national team to the Ivory Coast’s, he’s spent his entire professional career in England for either Palace or United. So he does qualify as homegrown.
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Additionally, at 24, Zaha isn’t in his prime yet and would breed excellence in competing with Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling for playing time. His powerful, muscular style of play is an interesting contrast to the speedy, agile Sane and Sterling too.
Furthermore, anyone who is responsible for sticking the ball twice in the back of the Thibault Courtois’ net, thereby sticking it in Chelsea’s craw, is someone worth getting on your roster.
Zaha also performed a little magic against Russia the week before undermining Chelsea.
So Zaha’s renaissance can’t be overlooked. He shows flashes of dominance that some big club will want to unleash. It could be City.
Or it could be Tottenham Hotspur. The Sun also records that Spurs plan a £25 million move for the winger, though I don’t see much of a need there. Moussa Sissoko, Son Heung-min and Erik Lamela — when healthy — are formidable. Plus, attack from the flank of the boys from White Hart Lane is predicated on overlapping full backs Danny Rose and Kyle Walker and no so much on wingers.
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Anywho, defense is a undoubtedly still a transfer priority. But procuring more depth all-around for the desired deep runs in the Champions League and FA Cup next season is important too. Zaha is an able-bodied player that can aid in the latter endeavor.