Wilfried Zaha to Tottenham: Furious Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew slams Spurs for ‘tapping up’ star
Selhurst Park chief livid after winger demands move to rivals... hours before they made an official £12million offer
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FURIOUS Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has accused Tottenham of tapping up Wilfried Zaha.
Pardew is livid Zaha demanded a move to Spurs — just hours BEFORE they made an official £12million bid.
Palace chief Steve Parish has told Spurs that Zaha is not for sale.
And Pards said: “The FA or Premier League should look at it. They have taken all the regulation out of that system and it’s showing a bit at the moment.
“The agents have been on a kind of frenzy in this transfer window — trying to get involved with players who are not even theirs.
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“And trying to manoeuvre it to try and get some piece of the pie.
“Some agents should probably utilise their businesses in a better manner.
“Wilf came to see me and said he believed there was some interest from Tottenham and may he go.
“I said, ‘I’ll speak to the chairman to see what the bid is.’ This wasn’t something that had been current for four days, it was literally Thursday.
“It broke from Tottenham’s end and we reacted to it.
“But we did not instigate the transfer and we didn’t put his name out.”
Parish remains angry and Pardew, who says he has never made an illegal approach for any player, added: “Unless the opposing club has given a clear indication that I’m allowed to do it, then no — otherwise it’s illegal.
“I have some sympathy for the player. I am bothered if Wilf’s head is not focused.”
Zaha, 23, is so unsettled by Tottenham’s interest that Pardew may pull him out of the line-up to face Bournemouth in the Premier League at Selhurst Park today.
Pardew, who sold Yannick Bolasie to Everton last week, added: “I am just trying to manage the footballers here under the circumstances the best I can.
“All Premier League managers are frustrated the window is still open when we are playing games.
“We always say that. I’m not the only manager affected.
“It is just not right and the sooner it closes before we kick a ball, the better.”