Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Wilfried Zaha is better suited for Arsenal than Tottenham Hotspur
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan ,while speaking to Football Insider, believes Tottenham Hotspur target Wilfried Zaha would be better off playing for Arsenal than Spurs.
Talking about how Mikel Arteta’s brand of attractive football will suit Zaha more than the counter-attacking approach adopted by Antonio Conte at Spurs, Whelan believes it to be a much better option for the Ivory Coast forward, whose contract at Crystal Palace is running down its final year (Transfermarkt).
“You could probably see him more as an Arsenal-type player because of that attacking brand of football.
Conte’s style is more defensive, more counter-attacking. There’s a bit more of a flow to Arsenal’s game, which would probably suit Zaha more than Tottenham.
Where would I see him benefit and have more success? Probably at Arsenal under Arteta.”
Zaha was part of the Crystal Palace academy before shifting to the first team and created an immediate impact, showing natural talent and the ability to play at the highest level.
His performances at such an early age were such that Sir Alex Ferguson made Zaha his last signing at Manchester United before retiring. Due to different circumstances, the move did not bear fruition for both the club and the player and it could be deemed as a failed move.
However, the forward returned to Crystal Palace, initially on a loan which later turned into a permanent deal and has since been the stalwart of the London side. Especially this season under manager Patrick Vieira, Zaha is showing maturity and composure by leading the team from the front and has contributed to 6 goals and 2 assists.
With his contract running down and the player showing little signs of signing an extension, it is providing a unique opportunity to top clubs, which could sign Zaha on a free transfer come the summer transfer window of 2023.
A free transfer for a player of his ilk would be an amazing opportunity for any club and for now, rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been the most interesting sides to acquire his services.
For Zaha, it is the chance of now or never of getting a move to a big club and hence even the player would be keen to make the deal materialise.
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Hence, this is an opportunity which we should not miss out on as the player could add real quality to our attacking depth and has a plethora of Premier League experience to rely upon. It will be interesting to see the direction that Zaha takes once the timeline of his current contract comes near completion. Till then, we just wait and watch.
