Ebere Eze and Ollie Watkins among four players Crystal Palace may target if the club decides to sell Wilfried Zaha this summer
Wednesday 19 August 2020 12:17, UK
Wilfried Zaha's desire to leave Crystal Palace this summer has left the club with a "dilemma", according to Roy Hodgson. Who might the Eagles pursue if they decide to sell their prized asset and academy product?
There are still seven weeks to go until the transfer window closes so Crystal Palace have plenty of time to find a replacement if they decide to sell Zaha.
Palace wanted £80m for Zaha last summer, but prices have dropped in this window. They will have to accept a lower fee if they sell him now but replacements will also be cheaper to buy.
These are some of the players who could come in if Zaha is sold...
Palace are leading the race to sign Ebere Eze from Queens Park Rangers but they have serious competition from some of their Premier League rivals.
Eze was one of the best attacking players in the Championship last season and he definitely has the ability and potential to play at a higher level.
Financial considerations mean QPR will allow him to leave this summer although they want to get as close to £20m as possible for their most valuable asset.
QPR manager Mark Warburton expects Eze's future to be sorted out soon and it would suit him if it was because that would give him more time to bring in his own replacements.
The club will not stand in Eze's way and they may be willing to negotiate when it cones to their asking price. Palace have indicated they are wiling to pay about £12m but that will not be enough.
Eze is not agitating for a transfer but it is no secret he wants to play in the Premier League and a move to Palace would tick a lot of boxes for him.
Ryan Fraser has plenty of Premier League experience and he is a free agent so Palace can get him without having to pay a transfer fee.
It is fair to say he left Bournemouth under a cloud. He did not play during Restart because his contract had run out and he did not want to sign a short-term extension. Bournemouth were relegated and Fraser is guaranteed to get a frosty reception if he ever goes back there.
None of that should concern Palace though. Fraser is a quality player who could have an instant impact if he decides to move to Selhurst Park.
Palace are willing to put together an attractive financial package but they have competition from other Premier League sides like West Ham and Fulham.
Fraser is 26 years old so if Palace gave him a four-year contract on £50,000 a week they would be spending just over £10m on him in total. That represents pretty good value in today's market for a player who has played regularly in the top flight for the past four seasons.
Said Benrahma is set to leave Brenford this summer and there is no doubt he has the quality to replace Zaha at Selhurst Park. The only problem is he is in demand and there are a long list of other clubs who want to sign him.
Benrahma has been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa, West Ham and Leeds and he is valued at about £25m.
He scored 17 times in the Championship and Brentford's defeat in the Championship play-off final against Fulham means they are prepared to sell - but only at the right price.
Wherever he ends up Brentford will make a big profit. They signed him in a £2.7m deal from Nice just two years ago.
He definitely has the ability, personality and character to be a big star in south London if he moves to Palace.
Staying at Brentford and Ollie Watkins is another player who is attracting a lot of attention from Premier League clubs, including Palace.
Brentford are not under pressure to sell but Watkins is valued at about £25m and he could feel this is the right time for him to be playing in the Premier League at this stage of his career.
Aston Villa and Sheffield United are also interested in him and it is thought he would be keen to work with his former Brentford manager Dean Smith, who is now in charge at Villa.
Watkins finished last season as the joint top scorer in the Championship with 26 goals. That was only five fewer goals than Palace managed in the league last season.
Palace need to address their lack of goalscoring threat this summer and Watkins could be the answer. He is still only 24 and £25m seems like a fair price for a striker with his goalscoring record.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5. A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms.
