Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has confessed he is not concerned by the latest round of speculation surrounding the future of forward Wilfried Zaha.
Zaha rarely finds himself away from the gossip column, having been linked with a big-money move away from Palace for what feels like an eternity. This time, it's AC Milan who are thought to be keen on the Ivorian.
Dealing with questions about the future of Zaha, who has managed eight goals and two assists in 14 appearances this season, is nothing new to Hodgson, who admitted in a press conference that he barely acknowledges the rumours anymore.
"There has been so much speculation regarding Wilf over the years that I tend to let those concerns disappear, as they often do," said Hodgson (via Sky Sports News).
"Wilf's good and it doesn't surprise me that there's clubs out there who would like to sign him, but a lot of things have to be put in place before a player leaves a club.
"I'm just happy at the moment that Wilf is playing as he is, displaying his discipline and concentration and his passion for football and the club, and unless I'm given a reason to think otherwise, I expect that to keep going."
Zaha, whose contract is set to run until 2023, has made no secret of his desire to play in the Champions League, but even submitting a transfer request in the summer of 2019 wasn't enough to get a deal done.
However, with Palace currently labouring down in 15th in the Premier League, Zaha's frustrations could well grow over the coming months, especially if a move to Serie A leaders Milan fails to materialise.
Palace are understood to be prepared to sell, but only if a club submits a bid which meets their valuation of Zaha, which stood at close to the £100m mark pre-pandemic.
There's almost certainly no chance any side will pay anywhere close to that fee for a 28-year-old whose contract is slowly winding down, but it remains to be seen whether Palace will adjust their demands.
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Source : 90min