Palace boss gives update on Arsenal, Man Utd & Spurs target’s future after Wolves win

By Nick Wright Tuesday, January 1, 2013
6:07 PM

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway described speculation linking Wilfried Zaha with a January move to the Premier League as “nonsense” after their 3-1 win against Wolves.

Zaha has been strongly linked with a host of top-flight clubs in recent months and was in dazzling form against Stale Solbakken’s side on Tuesday afternoon, playing a crucial role in two of Palace’s goals as they grabbed their first win in six to go third in the Championship.

Talented 20-year-old Zaha announced he would jump at the chance to join a Premier League club in January over the weekend but Holloway remains confident of keeping him at Selhurst Park until the end of the season.

When quizzed on the recent speculation linking the young England star with a January departure form Selhurst Park, Holloway said: “Absolute nonsense.”

He continued: “They whip it all up about this transfer window. If people come in, we’ve spoken with the chairman and we know where we are. We like the boy, that’s more like it.”

Zaha was substituted in Palace’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest at the weekend but Holloway was delighted to see him back at his best against Wolves.

“I brought him off last weekend,” he said. “I don’t think he played as well and that was a great response from him.

“When he’s got a smile on his face then I know Palace have played well.

“He’s a wonderful lad, he’s had a hard couple of months and hopefully he’ll have [another] hard couple of months on the run-in with us.”