Eddie Howe is set to miss out on a chance to sign Eberechi Eze this summer, but his future being at Crystal Palace offers Newcastle United a window to agree Wilfried Zaha’s transfer.
The gaffer will explore strengthening his St James’ Park ranks over the off-season once the club’s Premier League status is secured. And according to The Sun, Eze is one of the names on Howe’s transfer shortlist, with Newcastle considering making Crystal Palace a £45m bid.
United chiefs held talks with their Eagles counterparts during the mid-season market over Eze’s situation. But the Selhurst Park hierarchy baulked at letting the 23-year-old leave on loan. The Toon sought to strike a £5m temporary deal that came with a £35m buy option.
Newcastle paying Crystal Palace £45m for Eze would see the south London side more than double their £19.5m investment. Quite the bonus for an England U21 winger who has only made six Premier League outings this season, starting just one, following an Achilles injury.
Eze is also yet to score or provide an assist and has not featured under Patrick Vieira across the Eagles’ last five top-flight fixtures. He has watched each game as an unused substitute. But the emergence of Eze and Michael Olise has convinced Palace they can let Zaha leave.
Newcastle should use Eze blow as chance to sign Zaha from Crystal Palace instead
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who now report Crystal Palace will let Zaha leave in the summer transfer window as Olise and Newcastle target Eze are showing the Eagles can live without the 29-year-old, who will enter the final year of his Selhurst Park contract in June.
Palace chiefs are yet to determine a price for Zaha, who they valued at £40m last year, per the Daily Mail. Their valuation will likely have to come down with the Ivory Coast dynamo entering the final 12-months of his £130k-a-week deal penned in 2018 come the summer.
Yet the forward – who Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta called ‘phenomenal’ – is enjoying a strong Premier League campaign. Unlike Eze, Zaha has scored 10 goals over 25 games, starting 24. Only last season when he hit 11 in 30 has the 21-cap attacker struck more in a single term.
So, if Howe does look to improve his wide options at St James’ this summer, Newcastle can see Crystal Palace’s stance on keeping Eze as a reason to target Zaha in a cut-price transfer instead. Adding a proven end product and dynamic threat nearing a career-high campaign.
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