Roy Hodgson admits he has no control over Wilfried Zaha’s future

by Graeme Jackson

Saturday Dec 23, 2017. 12:00

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he has no control over whether Ivory Coast attacker Wilfried Zaha stays with the club through the January transfer window.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with a move for the 25-year-old Elephants player.

The former Manchester United player has been in superb form for Palace through the 2017/18 season, with his performances helping to drag the club from the bottom of the log into mid-table.

Yet Hodgson has put Zaha’s potential suitors on red alert by saying, “I don’t think that as a manager you can ever give guarantees on anything.

“It’s a great credit to the club and Zaha if there are rumours circulating of so-called bigger clubs looking at him and maybe thinking of making a bid, we should be pleased about that.

“That means he’s playing well. That’s the way we’re looking at it.

“And if the day comes when one of those rumours becomes the truth and there is a concrete situation, I’ll come to terms with it at that moment in time.

“If you ask if I want him to stay, then like the rest of Crystal Palace’s supporters, of course I do.

“He’s helping us win games and I’ve no doubt that will continue until the day when he can no longer do it for us.

“Like most Crystal Palace fans, I hope that’s a long way off.”

Zaha is set to feature again for Palace when they play away to relegation-threatened Swansea City later today, kick-off at 17h00 CAT.