Crystal Palace heavily relied on the firepower and flair of Wilfried Zaha to bail them out of a perilous situation in the Premier League last season, so it's no wonder that recent reports from Germany make for grim viewing for the Eagles faithful. 

According to a recent report from the German media outlet Bild, Borussia Dortmund are ready to offer Andre Schurrle in a cash plus player deal for Wilfried Zaha. The German giants interest in Zaha is hardly surprising given the array of talented wide players that have graced the turf of the WestfalenStadion in recent years, but their interest will certainly arrive with deep concern for everybody involved with Crystal Palace.

Palace fans will remember Schurrle from his stint with Chelsea between 2013 and 2015 in which he scored 11 goals from 44 appearances in the Premier League.

His record was not representative of a prolific attacking midfield player, but it must be considered that only 20 of those appearances were made from the outset.

The Germany international is clinical when presented with chances inside the penalty area, versatile and creative, but is he effective as Zaha? Absolutely not.

Without Zaha there's no doubt that Palace would have been relegated last season; the fact that the Eagles failed to record a single point from the 9 fixtures he missed through injury last season serves to illuminate the extent of his paramount importance to the club.

Not only did Zaha provide 9 goals and 5 assists towards Palace's promotion effort last season, he provided a level of mobility and trickery in the final-third which frightened defenders and opened up gaps for his fellow players to exploit.

His importance simply cannot be underestimated, so Palace must ensure that they do not get tempted by a generous cash plus Schurrle offer this summer, as their decision to sell their crown jewel could ultimately result in their relegation from the top-flight.

Crystal Palace fans - thoughts? Let us know below!