Wilfried Zaha: The latest star Man Utd squandered
Suraj Radia
- 16 Aug 2022 19:14 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United’s struggles to sign a forward this summer have been long-documented and the club may have been watching Wilfried Zaha star for Crystal Palace with a sense of regret.
Zaha netted the opening goal for Palace in their 1-1 draw against Liverpool and the 29-year-old has scored 62 goals since leaving United in 2014.
The Ivorian only had six months with United’s first team, playing just two Premier League games, with the rest of his two-year spell at Old Trafford spent out on loan at Palace and Cardiff.
Zaha believed he was never given a chance by then-manager David Moyes and he was sold at age 22 for just £6 million after joining for an initial fee of £10m.
Arsenal have made bids in excess of £40m for Zaha during his time at Palace and the winger’s development into a reliable Premier League performer represents another missed opportunity for United.
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United have been in the market this summer for a forward and have been linked with big money moves for the likes of Anthony from Ajax and Benjamin Sesko.
However, the club have rarely shown their ability to get the best out of young players or to give them enough opportunities to succeed, with Zaha being a prime example of what could have been.
Zaha joined United as a highly-rated 21-year-old with more than 100 games under his belt and won the Young Player of the Year award in the Championship with Palace.
But he played just 28 minutes in the Premier League under Moyes and was eventually sold despite proving his ability for the Eagles in a loan spell and even earning an England call-up.
Zaha eventually led Palace to the 2016 FA Cup final and won their player of the year three years in a row, as well as constantly being one of the most successful dribblers in the Premier League.
Having scored 14 times in 33 games last season, Zaha opened his account for the new campaign against Liverpool and showed his composure with his finish for Palace’s first goal, described by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp as ‘out of this world.’
Zaha is one of the big boys in the prem…don’t let anyone tell you any different, the quality & fight he brings for palace is something special, if I’m going to war I’m taking him with me
— Yannick Bolasie (@YannickBolasie) August 15, 2022
Despite Zaha entering the final 12 months of his contract at Palace, he has been linked with £25m moves away to Chelsea this summer, further showcasing how valuable and suitable he could be for a top club.
There is a sense of bitter irony for United considering the way Zaha’s career has turned out and their search for a player in exactly his mould.
However, it would have been unlikely that Zaha would have been able to flourish at United and it is perhaps best for his career that he became a cult hero at Palace instead of another name in the long list of Old Trafford disappointments.
