Selling Zaha a bridge too far for Palace chairman Parish

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish believes it would have been a “bridge too far” to sell winger Wilfried Zaha during a busy transfer window at Selhurst Park.

Palace sold Yannick Bolasie to Everton in a big-money move and allowed captain Mile Jedinak to join Aston Villa, but held on to Zaha after rejecting what Parish described as a “ridiculous” bid from Tottenham.

Parish says the transfer window was positive for Alan Pardew’s side overall, with Christian Benteke a high-profile arrival from Liverpool, while Steve Mandanda, Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Loic Remy have all added quality to the squad.

“Losing Yannick Bolasie and Mile Jedinak was a big loss, but overall we had a positive market,” Parish told the Times.

“We didn’t score enough last year and with Loic Remy and Christian Benteke, we have bought goals.

“And keeping Wilfried Zaha was like a transfer for us. Selling him would have been a bridge too far.”

Despite being happy with the business done at the club during the transfer window, Parish accepted it is difficult for Premier League clubs to get value for money in the market and highlighted Southampton as an example to follow.

“Crystal Palace, the transfer fees we have paid, when you look historically at the size of the club, there is no other similar side in Europe that could come close to matching our spending,” the chairman said.

“There is no German club outside of Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund who can.

“We don’t get value for money, really. You have to buy assets that you can recycle.

“A club like us, you have to accept that you need to reinvent, as Southampton have done brilliantly over the last three or four years.”