Borussia Dortmund: Crystal Palace's Zaha would be perfect for the Bundesliga


(Photo credit: James Boyes)

As their country turns inward on the political scene, England's young footballers are tilting in the opposite direction. 

Neither  Jadon Sancho, Reece Oxford nor Ademola Lookman saw a chance in the Premier League, departing for the unfamiliar climes of Germany and the Bundesliga.  

According to various reports, Wilfried Zaha could be the latest star to join them with rumours suggesting that Borussia Dortmund are about to make a move for the Crystal Palace star. 

The Ivorian might have been born in Abidjan but he was honed and hewn in Croydon, coming of age amongst the spark and tumble of English football.

How well, then, will he far in Germany's top division?

A good fit

This would be a brave move for Zaha but one that could pay terrific dividends for club and player. 

Dortmund are in need of forward options with an attacking line that was cumbersome and tired before the January arrival of Michy Batshuayi. 

REUTERS/Kai PfaffenbachAndriy Yarmolenko has recently completed a move to West Ham after an uneven year at a club whose scoring charts were topped by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 13 strikes scored before his January departure. Alternatively, Zaha's nine goals last term were rivalled only by Maximilian Philipp in Westfalen. 

Whilst the Eagles man is an obvious finisher of chances, it is his mesmerising dribbling and attacking thrust that could prove the real weapon. According to WhoScored?, he made an average of 4.1 dribbles per game in the season just gone, a statistic bettered only by Chelsea's Eden Hazard.  

A new approach

On top of this, Lucien Favre, the incoming Dortmund manager, will deploy a style that extracts the maximum from Zaha. 

The obsessive Swiss favours an energetic 4-3-3 with two inside forwards given licence to roam and create. 

In this system, Alassane Plea had the best season of his life in the formation for Nice last year, notching 21 strikes on the left. Zaha could get even more.

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Commercial aspects come into play here, too. Crystal Palace will receive a hefty fee that can be invested in the squad but any transfer will pale in comparison to the one they will receive if Zaha blossoms as expected in Germany. 

The Signal Iduna Park could see the best years of a player who is about to reach his peak with the prospect of a tasty return on their investment. 

It's a move that makes sense on all sides. The Bundesliga may just have bagged itself a star. 

Do you think Zaha should move to Germany? Let us know by commenting below.

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