Holloway: Zaha must return on loan

Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway insists any January deal for Wilfried Zaha must include a clause that sees him stay until season’s end.

The 18-year-old’s displays in the Championship earned him a call-up to the England squad for the friendly against Sweden in November.

Arsenal, among other English Premier League clubs, are also reported to be interested in Zaha but Holloway will push for the player to stay in order to help Palace secure the financial windfall of promotion.

“If we do reach an agreement with a club, it would have to include a clause that Zaha stays put for the rest of the season,” he wrote in the Sunday Mirror.

“Wilfried Zaha is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. And that, in the football silly season that everyone else calls January, is the problem.

“The need for confidentiality makes it impossible to reveal who is interested in Wilfried and who has made a bid. But the constant buzz of speculation is difficult to cope with.”

Despite the attentions of the big boys of the top flight, Holloway has commended Zaha for keeping his head and continuing to perform despite the added pressure.

“It is a great tribute to Wilf himself that he has been able to hang on to his sanity,” he said.

“He had a little dip in form when the transfer talk started to get louder last month, but he has since shown that class is permanent.”

Holloway says he has laid out to Zaha the possible scenarios the January window could bring so as not to reach a stand-off between club and player.

“I felt it necessary to have a chat with Wilfried this week about what might happen and what definitely won’t be happening,” he said.