The manager of Crystal Palace, Patrick Vieira, insists that the Eagles will do “everything we can” to keep Wilfried Zaha, but he also acknowledges that they must match his ambition.
The Ivory Coast forward’s Selhurst Park contract expires in the summer.
With five goals this year, including the game-winning goal against Wolves on Tuesday, the 29-year-old is Palace’s leading scorer.
“I don’t have any doubt about him wanting to stay in our football club, but at the same time we have to show him how ambitious we are,” said Vieira.
“There’s speculation on all good players who are at the end of their contract. We can only show him the love that we have for him and the way he has been playing, he’s sending back the love as well. There’s no losing energy in that situation.
“We know how important he is for us and I think he knows he’s a big player for this football club, we expect a lot from him and Wilfried loves to have that kind of pressure on his shoulders.
“We will see what will happen, but we will do everything to keep him.”
Vieira is hoping that the addition of young players like Ebere Eze and Michael Olise, who helped Palace finish 12th in the Premier League and advance to the FA Cup semifinals last season, will be sufficient to persuade Zaha of the club’s direction.
“When you’re looking at the talent we have on the field and the young players around him, it shows the ambition of the football club,” added the Frenchman, who succeeded Roy Hodgson as Eagles boss in July 2021.
“He loves the way we are playing because it allows him to score goals and show how good he is. He’s taken responsibility as well.
“He understands that he has an important role to play on and off the field. Having those players around him to have that stigma to be a positive example.”
