Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira has hit out at the rumours linking Wilfried Zaha to Arsenal and refuted the claims that the Ivory Coast forward is set to leave the club next summer. The 29-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Selhurst Park but nothing has ever materialized.

Over the last few years, few players have been as consistent and lethal for Crystal Palace as Wilfried Zaha has been with the Ivorian really finding his footing. Ever since he re-signed for the Eagles after a failed spell at Manchester United, the now 29-year-old has consistent hit double figures for goals or assists in all but one season. That includes the current 2021/22 term with Zaha netting 10 goals despite missing more than a few games through injuries.

His latest strike came from the spot against Arsenal and it saw the Ivorian linked with yet another move to the North London side. The 29-year-old was a target for the club in the past but they went another direction and Patrick Vieira has now refuted any claims that Zaha is going to leave. The Eagles’ boss admitted that the Ivorian loves and knows this club better than anyone and wants to keep playing for them.

“He [Zaha] has been linked after the [Arsenal] game?! There is no truth about that. I believe Wilfried [Zaha] is an important player for the team, for the football club, he is a really good inspiration for the young players that we have. He knows this club better than anybody else and when he is performing like that, you know you only want to keep your best players. And he is one of them,” Vieira said, reported Goal.