Palace boss Sam Allardyce hoping it's not easy to turn Wilfried Zaha's head

Posted Thursday, April 27, 2017 by PA

Sam Allardyce has warned Wilfried Zaha off another "glory move" away from Crystal Palace like his failed switch to Manchester United.

Zaha made just two Premier League appearances for United after a 2013 move before returning to Palace initially on loan and then permanently in 2015.

And now Allardyce believes the in-demand winger would be best served staying put.

The 24-year-old will face up to his chief potential suitors Tottenham in Wednesday's Premier League clash at Selhurst Park, where Palace could cement top-flight safety with victory.

Allardyce insisted Palace are yet to receive any offers for Zaha, with the Eagles manager expecting one of his top talents to command a hefty price tag.

"I hope it's not easy to turn Wilf's head," said Allardyce, with Zaha's current contract running until 2020.

"Wilf himself is a mature adult now. He's seen an awful lot of what happens in football from a very young age, experienced a glory move which didn't quite work and then come back.

"While he gets advice from outside here, I hope he draws on his own experiences and makes his own decisions, rather than relying on what others are saying, relying on what people say they think he should do.

"We would hope he would realise he should stay at Palace for the foreseeable future.

"The summer will bring whatever it brings, whether that's negotiating a new contract with us or some outrageous bid from somewhere else.

"From a personal point of view, he needs to stay and play every week and be a key man while Crystal Palace keep getting better and better.

"He's getting closer and closer to the final product, so I think he can find himself even more so if he stays here, but obviously I'm not in control of that."

Asked if Zaha ought to fetch more than the B£40million Palace were reportedly ready to accept, Allardyce said: "Personally, in today's market, absolutely yes.

"I hope nobody bids it.

"The problem we have at Palace, and at every club, is it's like the housing market.

"You can buy a house for so much and sell it for so much more, but then you only go into the same market. Stay with what you've got!

"You're dicing in a dangerous area unless you're clever enough, and can keep it quiet enough, to do your business before you sell. But that's nearly impossible."

Revealing he would leave contract negotiations to Palace's board, Allardyce added: "We haven't had a bid yet. What are we talking about? If we're talking about a bid, we can have that conversation.

"At the moment, I just want to see Wilf on the pitch, keeping himself in the headlines for the right reasons for him and the team."

Palace will be without defender James Tomkins, who could miss the rest of the season with a leg injury.

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has assured him the club does not have to raise money this summer and will only offload players they want to sell.

Spurs are expected to field enquiries for a number of their young talents after another season in which they have emerged as genuine contenders for the Premier League title.

In the past, Tottenham have bowed to pressure from Europe's elite clubs, with Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick all sold for sizeable fees.

Pochettino, however, insists he has Levy's word that Spurs will only accept offers for players they are happy to let depart White Hart Lane.

"I think because we are doing good things, the clubs with a lot of potential are focused on our players, on our talented players," the Argentinian said.

"But it is important, I told you, because my relationship with Daniel Levy is so close so far - you know the relationship between chairman and manager can change in a moment!

"But the good thing is we have the plan to try to improve and we will deliver it when we finish the season.

"The players that we want to keep, we will keep, because he said to me 'we don't need money'. If we sell some players it is because we want to sell some players.

"We will sell players because of the players we want to sign. For our fans, it is so clear that all the decisions we take are for the reason to try to improve the team, to try to be more competitive next season."

Danny Rose is not yet ready to return after almost three months out with a knee injury, meaning Ben Davies is likely to start at left-back against Palace.

Erik Lamela and Harry Winks are both out with hip and ankle injuries respectively, while goalkeeper Michel Vorm is struggling with a knee problem.