Tottenham are looking at the possibility of signing Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha in the summer. Recent reports from the Express Sport indicates that the former Manchester United player would be made as one of the priority signings for the club. A move for Zaha would also indicate that the time of Erik Lamela at White Hart Lane is coming to an end. Lamela has not played for the club in the last few months, and he has recently been linked with a return to Italian football with Roma being interested in his services. Lamela blossomed in Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at the club, and he was a major factor behind Tottenham finishing third in the league table last season.
However, he has been out with an unspecified injury for the last few months. When questioned about Lamela’s sighting in Italy just before the start of the January transfer window, manager Mauricio Pochettino claimed that the winger was merely in Rome in order to consult with a specialist over his hip injury. Tottenham have been interested in Zaha for quite a while. The club reportedly made an offer for the 24-year-old in the summer, but Crystal Palace rejected the advances in the hope of doing good with the player on board. However, it has not been the case with the club struggling have any impact in the league this season.
Crystal Palace have brought in new boss Sam Allardyce a few weeks ago. The former Newcastle and Bolton manager is yet to have any impact at the club, and Crystal Palace finds themselves closer to the relegation zone than near the top half of the table. With the threat of relegation being a real possibility, Zaha is reportedly looking at his options. A move to White Hart Lane would be a major step up in his career.
Spurs will have to be cautious about Zaha’s ability to perform at a big club. Despite having obvious talent, he failed to turn himself on when he was at Manchester United. He spent only two years at Old Trafford – largely out on loan – before coming to Crystal Palace for around £4 million in the summer of 2015. However, his impressive performances for Crystal Palace this season has seen his transfer value shoot up drastically. The 24-year-old is now valued at £25 million by the London outfit, and Spurs may have to come near this figure in order to have any hope of signing the player.
