Liverpool have been urged to complete a swoop for Crystal Palace stalwart Wilfried Zaha this summer.
What’s the word?
Speaking to Stadium Astro, Premier League champion Danny Simpson suggested that the Ivorian could be a good signing for the Reds.
He said: “I feel like Wilf plays better when he is the main man. I know he was a lot younger when he went to United, but if he goes to another top four top side he’s not going to be the main man.
The comments follow earlier revelations this season from Italian outlet Calciomercato, which stated that Liverpool are keen on a move and with the 30-year-old currently out of contract at the end of the campaign, a move could indeed arise.
“Game-changer”
Zaha has become something of a household name for fans of the English top-flight, with his delightful dribbling prowess and deft weaving in direct assault at the opposing defence has left little doubt that he is indeed one of the division’s most exciting and seat-raising forwards.
Partner that with the incremental gains made with his output in front of goal of the past several seasons, the refined and formidable star could make a marked improvement on a Liverpool team receiving widespread criticism for the lack of cohesion and offensive vigour.
Once hailed as a “game-changer” by former Palace boss Roy Hodgson, Zaha scored 11 goals in 2020/21 and registered 14 strikes last season. He now currently boasts six goals from 19 appearances this term, illustrating his clinical touch that has blossomed later in his career.
Indeed, having made 450 of his 467 professional appearances at senior level with the Palace, scoring 89 goals and 76 assists for the south London outfit, Zaha has indeed etched legendary status into the club’s folklore in securely sustaining Premier League status over his time at Selhurst Park.
The 30-cap Ivory Coast international has recorded an average career rating of 7.06, as per WhoScored, averaging 1.7 shots and 1.1 key passes per game.
And as per FBref, the £130k-per-week star ranks among the top 15% of wingers across Europe for successful take-ons and the top 25% for rate of non-penalty goals, and with former Liverpool phenom Philippe Coutinho listed as a comparable player to the Eagle, there is certainly a claim that he could emulate his positional peers resounding success under there Anfield lights.
Coutinho also possesses the fleet-footed wonder that only a select few professionals are capable of channelling, and his gliding gait with the ball at his feet from the left-hand side is eerily similar to Zaha, with the pair capable of cutting inside and unleashing havoc on any defence who tries to stop them.
The Brazilian has recorded a career average of 2.6 shots and 1.5 key passes per outing to date, with those numbers similar to the Ivorian who has managed 1.7 and 1.1 key passes.
As such, landing Zaha this summer could certainly prove to be a prudent deal indeed for Klopp’s beleaguered Liverpool; the Kop End yearns for a figure of blinding brilliance to lift the roof once more, and Zaha hold the key to unlock the cacophonous crescendo the club needs to find their feet again.