Back in February 2015, Louis van Gaal was the Manchester United manager and he made the decision to allow Wilfried Zaha leave for Crystal Palace, making his loan move at Selhurst Park a permanent one. Looking back, this was right up there as one of van Gaal’s biggest mistakes at United as the Ivorian has since become one of the most valuable players in the Premier League.
Good luck to @WilfriedZaha, who has completed a permanent move to Crystal Palace having been on loan at Selhurst Park since August. #mufc
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 2, 2015
The tricky winger was the last player to be signed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and will go down in history for that at Old Trafford. However, it’s hard to see him being remembered for much else in Manchester. During the 26-year-old’s two-year stint at the club, he spent more time at Crystal Palace, having two loan-spells back at Selhurst Park either side of a loan to Cardiff City.
It was midway through his second loan-spell at Palace that the loan was made permanent, although that has now been exposed as an awful decision. In the last three full seasons since Zaha was allowed to leave United for Palace, the tricky attacker has been directly involved in 37 goals, scoring 19 and assisting 18 in the Premier League despite playing most of those games as a winger.
Ironically, if Zaha was at United right now they’d be in a much better position, with Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku failing to do anything of note under Jose Mourinho this season, Palace’s main man would no doubt be thriving at Old Trafford had he been given the chance he never was then things could have been very different for United, as the 26-year-old winger-turned-striker would have given them an edge in games when they faltered.
You can see what The Manchester United fans had to say when Zaha was sold here:
https://twitter.com/iamhoda7/status/562381972102598656
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha big mistake
— richy1anti (@Writchy96) 2 February 2015
https://twitter.com/ahmadkh1010/status/562379578870865921
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha NOOO GOD PLEASE NO WHY
— Adam (@AdamPWatson) February 2, 2015
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha The truth is that, you guys never game him the chance to explore his talent. #Pity
— Sylvester Sarkodie (@sly_sarkodie) February 3, 2015
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha an absoloute shame, really rated the way he played when he actually got a chance
— ryan (@ryumswift) February 3, 2015
https://twitter.com/satriohadi/status/562387778172760064
https://twitter.com/MprideWilliams/status/562384807297290241
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha disgraceful decision from our club. Had so much potential and never given a real chance. We will regret this
— Josh P (@__J_P__) February 2, 2015
@ManUtd @wilfriedzaha thats a huge mistake. He is on Januzaj level or even higher
— Ukrainian Red devil (@MyKillAn9elo) February 2, 2015
Loads of United fans knew what Zaha was capable of and knew that they’d regret selling him, yet almost three years later here they all are wishing he was a United man.
