Wilfried Zaha’s former teammate ‘baffled’ Arsenal didn’t sign Crystal Palace star last summer, as winger is tipped for Gunners or Tottenham transfer

The time has come for Wilfried Zaha to leave Crystal Palace, according to two former Eagles players Clinton Morrison and Glenn Murray, who claim he’d be a great fit for Arsenal or Tottenham this summer.

The 27-year-old winger is widely expected to depart Selhurst Park after a disappointing season for the south Londoners, in which he managed just four goals and five assists.

3

Arsenal were linked with an interest in the Ivory Coast international last summer, but opted to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille instead for a club ,record £72million.

Murray has told talkSPORT he is ‘baffled’ the Gunners made that choice, but recent reports claim the north London club have revived their interest in Zaha again now this summer’s transfer window has opened.

It has been suggested Palace could command around £60m for their talisman, despite his poor campaign.

But Morrison insists he remains one of the Premier League’s best wingers, with he and Murray agreeing it’s time Zaha flew the nest and fulfilled his potential at a bigger club.

“Palace fans won’t thank me for saying this, but I do think Zaha needs to go, I think he needs to flourish,” former Eagles striker Murray told the talkSPORT Breakfast.

“Even as far back as when he joined Manchester United… I believe that if Sir Alex [Ferguson] still would have been in charge he would have been one of the best players out there now.

“I was really surprised Arsenal didn’t go for him last year and they decided to go for Pepe.

3

“If baffled me that they didn’t go for him. I feel Wilf would have been a slightly cheaper option and he’s someone that knows the league very well.

“Staying in London would be good for him as well; he’s a real London boy and I just think he would have been the perfect fit there.”

Despite his mediocre output this season, Morrison insists Zaha is still one of the best attacking players in the Premier League.

And he also insists the winger would be a great fit if he joined the club he supported as a boy, Arsenal, but also for their fierce north London rivals Spurs.

3

Defending Zaha’s record this season, the former Palace star told talkSPORT host Jim White: “Even though he’s only scored four goals, he attracts a lot of players towards him when he’s on the ball.

“He’ll probably be the first person to say it hasn’t been his best season but, for me, when Wilfried Zaha is on his game he‘s one of the best wingers in the Premier League.

“He’s got that natural skill no one else can do.

“I think the time has come now, and most Crystal Palace fans will probably say this too, it’s time for Wilf to move on.

“I would say a club like Arsenal or Tottenham, I think he would suit them down to the ground.

“Arsenal is his club and I think he was desperate to move to Arsenal last summer, so if Arsenal came along he’d bite their hand off.

“But Arsenal or Tottenham, I think he’d be brilliant for either of those two clubs.”

Listen to clips of Glenn Murray and Clinton Morrison on talkSPORT above