Why Manchester United signing Wilfried Zaha would not be a wise move

The Sun claims that Manchester United are lining up a £70m+ deal to re-sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace.

Zaha was Manchester United’s final signing under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, but he did not play under the former manager. After David Moyes took charge of the club, Zaha lasted for only 4 games and was sent on back to Crystal Palace on loan after a frustrating campaign.

Palace then re-signed him and the winger has gone on to become one of the most feared attackers in the Premier League.

Manchester United believe that Zaha would now be ready for a successful stint with the club after gaining immense experience in the top-flight of English football. They are ready to pay out a huge amount to secure his services.

Previously, Wilfried Zaha was keen to move to Arsenal, who he supported from his childhood, according to the Express. Arsenal tried to sign him but were not willing to level terms with Palace’s valuation and they eventually roped in Nicolas Pepe from Lille.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are steadily developing from a slump they suffered early in the season. After a few disastrous games, especially in the away fixtures, the Red Devils are fighting their way back to get into the top six.

After the return of Anthony Martial from injury, United seem to have a different way of approach in their attack. Rashford seems to be finding his goalscoring opportunities on a regular basis and Daniel James has provided them with the speed they lacked.

According to the Metro, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate to bring in reinforcements to bolster United’s attack. Zaha is one of their top targets as he could provide them with an extra option to play on the flanks and he is also capable of playing in the central role.

Zaha, who is currently on the radars of United, had described that life was hell for him during his time at the club in an interview with ShortList (h/t Guardian). He fell out of favour with David Moyes and was also depressed at that time.

Therefore, it is possible that the Ivory International may not be willing to return to Old Trafford given his previous experience at the club.

In the league this term, Zaha has contributed just two assists for the Eagles in 12 games. He has not been so prolific for them as he used to be in previous seasons.

Moreover, United are beginning to spring back to life using their youngsters. Having already made some signings in the summer, United can rely on their current bunch of players to sneak into the top-4 and secure a spot for next season’s Champions League.

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 Verdict

The failure of making an impact this season might come as a problem for Roy Hodgson and given that Zaha had handed a transfer request last summer, his lack of interest is a concern.

That said, Manchester United would be better off dropping their interest in Zaha and look to improve other positions that really need a change.