Patrick Vieira says Wilfried Zaha still has a “couple of years” left at the highest level as he enters the peak of his powers playing for Crystal Palace.
The Ivorian winger scored twice for the Eagles on Wednesday night against Watford to take his tally for the season to eight goals in the Premier League, tying him at the top of Palace’s scoring charts alongside Conor Gallagher.
Zaha set his career-best return in front of goal last season when he scored 11 times under Roy Hodgson. He now looks set to beat that again, with Palace still having 12 games left to play in the league and the opportunity to advance further in the FA Cup.
The numbers suggest he’s on course to do that, with Zaha now firing at a marginally higher goal per game ratio (0.41 vs 0.38) than he was last season.
“Physically he is fantastic,” said Vieria on Friday afternoon. “Every day on the field he loves being there to play games. I believe he still has a couple of years at the highest level.
“He’s at the peak of his game. He’s got the experience, he’s been in the league for quite a while and I think there’s still more to come - he can be more decisive and score more goals.
“He’s putting the support around him to do well and he’s at the peak of his game regarding age, position and talent.”
The question remains though whether Zaha will play out his peak years at Crystal Palace or somewhere else, with his contract due to enter its final year this summer.
The club would like to hold onto the winger and tie him down to a new deal but are yet to do, leaving them with a decision to make if he does not extend his stay.
It seems unlikely that Zaha could command the same size transfer fee as quoted to his suitors in previous years, which would mean Palace must weigh up either keeping him for another season but losing him on a free or potentially receiving a lower-end, eight-figure fee for him this summer and using the money to help boost the squad in other areas.
Either scenario is uncomfortable for any Palace fan to face up to, especially while Zaha continues to impact games like he has done this season against Spurs, Manchester City and Watford.
“Wilfried is at home at Palace,” added Vieira. “He's been really good for the club and I strongly believe he still has a lot to give. Since he came back from AFCON he has wanted to take the team forward, and the team have responded well to him.”
But there is only so much Vieira and Palace can do in terms of contract negotiations if players have their minds set.
Dougie Freedman (sporting director) and Steve Parish (chairman, owner) have a lot of control over transfers and contracts, though Vieira’s opinion is often sought and in Zaha’s case, it’s clear he prefers his team with the winger in it rather than out of it.
“There is a process in place where we talk with Dougie and the chairman about how we see the players,” the Frenchman told football.london.
“But the contracts are Dougie and the chairman’s responsibility. I want to focus on what is going on in the field - that is what is important to me.
“But, at the same time, the conversation with the chairman and Dougie is there and it’s important for them to understand how I feel and how I see the player.”
While Zaha’s deal expires next summer, there are several players that the club will be making decisions on in the coming months whose contracts are up in May.
Cheikhou Kouyate is said to be in talks over a potential new deal currently, while James McArthur and Jordan Ayew are also senior players who could soon leave on a free.
James Tomkins, Nathaniel Clyne and Martin Kelly are also added to that list of players, with this summer shaping up to be another full of change for the playing squad.
