Arsenal: Wilfried Zaha typifies big fish, small fish debate

Arsenal will have to wait until the summer to try again for Wilfried Zaha, but is he even capable of upgrading from his small pond to a bigger one?

As Arsenal took on Crystal Palace three days after Christmas, it was clear what many fans were thinking – Wilfried Zaha is the perfect man to replace Alexis Sanchez. He has Premier League experience, he is only 25, and he has that superstar mentality where he is capable of doing so much for himself.

The Ivorian has been linked to a move to the Emirates, among other places, but as of December 31st, he made it perfectly clear that he would be staying at Selhurst Park through the January transfer window.

That doesn’t mean he won’t move in the future though, perhaps in the summer.

It’s the age-old question of whether you’d rather be a big fish in a small pond, as Zaha is now, or a small fish in a big pond with the potential to grow into a bigger fish, as he would be at Arsenal or a handful of other clubs.

Right now, Zaha is thriving pretty well as a big fish in a small pond at Selhurst. Roy Hodgson has his men competing to stay in the Premier League and, as their best player, Zaha has a huge part to play.

But this may well be the pre-peak Zaha where his next step is his biggest one. Staying at Palace is an admirable choice, but does it also hinder his growth if he spends his formative years fighting to stay in the top flight rather than fighting for trophies?

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Of course, Zaha has tried the big pond before. He took a brief foray to Manchester United, where he was a non-factor and was quickly send right back to Crystal Palace. The seat of his comfort. The place where he is the big fish.

Zaha has now made 290 appearances between the Premier League and the Championship. Only 17 have been made away from Crystal Palace. Now, again, I’m all for a player staying loyal to his club, but that doesn’t seem to be 100% the case with Zaha, as he did dip his toes into United before scrambling back home.

Zaha has wads of talent that has transitioned well from the Championship up into the Premier League, he has been relevant in English football since he turned 18. But there comes a point where you have to question if he has a big fish, big pond mentality.

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The option isn’t going to disappear. So long as he is performing at Palace, he could be 25 or 29, there will still be suitors. The question is simply how much of a chance he wants to give himself to win something meaningful. And, similarly, how long big clubs will believe he has what it takes.

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