One of the bigger transfer stories at Goodison Park during the summer transfer window was our reported chase for Crystal Palace legend Wilfried Zaha.
The 26-year-old Ivory Coast international attacker has long been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, but no deal has ever materialised owing to the fee Palace have reportedly wanted to charge owing to the length of his contract – let alone his clear talent – and our chase ended the same way, with Marcel Brands and manager Marco Silva pivoting to Arsenal talent Alex Iwobi who was better value for money and was a deal we could progress within the timeframe of deadline day.
With Everton stuttering in the Premier League again, this week, (still new to the pundit world) former player Darren Bent had his say on our chase for Zaha, but rather strangely he’s suggested he didn’t want to move on.
Doubting that the player was desperate to switch, he then explained that a failure to move was clearly still affecting his form?
“He probably looked at Everton, whether he wanted to go there or not I’m not entirely sure he was desperate to go there. At the back of his mind, he is probably thinking about his failed move. How do you come back from that? You say you want to leave, then you don’t leave, you start on the bench, your head’s bound to be all over the place. At the minute, he’s not playing like the Wilfried Zaha we know. When it comes to other teams this season, they know he’s their main man. If they can somehow get him out the game, even if it means doubling up on him, they would rather do that.”
Bent can’t have it both ways here, if Zaha wasn’t that fussed about moving, the failure of a move going through wouldn’t hinder his performance levels. If you think his performances have been subdued, then it links to not moving.
This is modern football, players have ‘wants’ but they also accept what’s on the cards. Again, if Zaha wasn’t sold on Everton and wanted a move elsewhere, unless a move elsewhere had been an option, he’d want to impress for the January window.
Or maybe it’s just me? After all, The Telegraph reported after deadline day had closed that their ‘sources’ had said Zaha had been left ‘devastated’ after his boyhood club blocked the move to us.
Previous Article: