"We will listen" - Premier League manager hints at exit for Chelsea and Arsenal target
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has shared an update on reported Arsenal and Chelsea target Wilfried Zaha.
The two London sides are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Crystal Palace winger. His contract is set to expire next summer and he is yet to agree to a new deal.
Apart from his two-year spell with Manchester United, Zaha has spent almost the entirety of his career at Crystal Palace. An academy product of the club, he has made 443 appearances for the Premier League side, scoring 89 goals and providing 75 assists.
In a pre-match press conference, Vieira addressed interest from other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, about the player and said (via BBC):
"I think Wilfried knows the position of the club and the decision is going to be his - and when he is ready, we will listen to what he has to say, But I think everybody knows we want him to stay at our football club, we want to grow with Wilfried as one of our leaders and the decision has to be his."
He added:
"However, the only focus at the moment is the way he’s been training and how he’s preparing himself to compete and help the team to perform."
""The decision will be his." 🤞
Will Wilfried Zaha leave Crystal Palace once his contract is up? 🦅 https://t.co/lEs36m1JrT
Vieira further went on to stress the importance of reinforcing his side during the January transfer window. He said:
"We are quite short on numbers - what is important for us is to find the right players with the profile we have identified."
Crystal Palace will return to action on December 26 in a Premier League home clash against Fulham.
Chelsea star claimed he expected Arsenal to do well this season
Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has shared his thoughts on the Gunners' brilliant start to the season. He claimed that right after playing Arsenal in a friendly before the start of the season, he knew they would do well this term.
The Italian told Sky Sports (via Football.London):
"You could see that the coach was creating a culture and a mentality for a certain type of football, so I knew they could do very, very well. We had a friendly with them in July and immediately after the game I said that they would have done very well this year."
He added:
"We'll see where they can go, but so far we just have to congratulate them. In any case, they're not a surprise for me."
Arsenal currently lead the Premier League table while Chelsea are 16 points behind them in eighth place.
🗣️ Arteta on the upcoming transfer window: “We are going to be active, and that means trying to strengthen the team.” #afc https://t.co/23RcIciwyu