Tuesday 4 April 2017 20:28, UK
Sam Allardyce has confirmed Crystal Place are prepared to offer Wilfried Zaha a lucrative new deal this summer to stay at Selhurst Park – but only if the club stay in the Premier League.
Tottenham attempted to sign the 24-year-old last summer but were rebuffed by Palace and Zaha's performances this season have only increased his value.
Zaha helped the Eagles stun league leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as he scored one and set up another in a 2-1 win, giving him six league goals and nine assists for the season.
Allardyce revealed chairman Steve Parish intends to offer Zaha a new contract in the summer in a bid to ward off potential suitors but he was keen to stress that is not a conversation which will take place before Palace's Premier League safety is secured.
"Hopefully Wilf is not listening to what the papers say - good or bad - and it doesn't distract him from his focus on the performances he is giving at the moment," Allardyce said.
"Any player can get distracted by good publicity as well as bad. He has to focus on the fact he has to consistently perform at the level he is performing at and that gives him a greater value for our football club.
"Steve has chosen to maybe offer him a new deal. Whether Wilf accepts that on the basis that he likes this club and what the club has done for him, only time will tell.
"Come the end of the season, make sure we are in the Premier League and those talks can perhaps take place but until then shut up about it.
"If we stay in the Premier League, it will be great if Wilf accepts a new contract. I don't blame Steve for saying we are going to try and offer him one because he is major asset for us.
"If you can secure that asset in the summer by being good enough to offer another deal, if he has already got a long one, then that would be fantastic for the club."
The win over Chelsea was Palace's fourth in a row and lifts them four points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.
They will look to make it five consecutive victories when they visit Southampton on Wednesday evening, but they will do so without centre-backs Scott Dann and James Tomkins.
Dann has a medial knee ligament injury and Tomkins has injured his calf, so Martin Kelly and Damien Delaney will come into contention to play alongside Mamadou Sakho.
Patrick van Aanholt is still sidelined with an ankle problem, while James McArthur remains a doubt, but Loic Remy is again available.
"Scott Dann is much more serious - as we thought," Allardyce said. "He is in a brace at the moment so it will be a few weeks we think and obviously there is not that long left in the season so we'll work extremely hard to get him back fit as soon as we can.
"James Tompkins is not quite so bad. Again, we need to get James back as quick as we possibly can.
"Patrick van Aanholt is making good progress. We need him back as well if we can."
Allardyce added: "They are not in contention for Southampton at all or maybe even Arsenal."
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