Josh Harris wants ‘phenomenal’ Wilfried Zaha to stay at Crystal Palace ‘for a long, long time’

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Man in the middle | Zaha takes in the NBA at the O2 alongside Harris (left) and Parish (right)
Dan Mullan/Getty Images
James Benge12 January 2018

Crystal Palace joint-owner Josh Harris has offered his backing to Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson’s stance over Wilfried Zaha’s future.

Eagles winger Zaha has emerged has arguably the best Premier League player outside the top six since the start of last season, scoring 11 goals and laying on 13 assists.

His form has caught the eye of Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, all of whom have been in the hunt for his signature.

However both Parish and Hodgson have been insistent that Zaha, who signed a new five year contract at the end of last season, will not be sold in January. Harris is optimistic that the 25-year-old will stay even longer.

"He is a phenomenal player,” Harris, who owns an 18 per cent stake in the club, told Standard Sport. “I hope he’s with Palace for a long, long time.

However Harris refused to be drawn on what he would do should a suitor offer a fee in excess of £60million, adding: “I’ll let Steve Parish speak for Crystal Palace transfers.”

Harris was speaking in London as the Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA basketball franchise he owns, were facing off against the Boston Celtics at the O2, a match they would lose 114-103.

The Sixers visit to London offered more than just the chance for Harris to make the trip across the Atlantic - he will be in the Selhurst Park crowd when Palace take on Burnley - as both the NBA and Premier League sides met to share knowledge.

“It was a chance to bring together two great and storied franchises,” he said. “The front offices and medical staff met, there’s lots of dialogue.

Photo: REUTERS
REUTERS

“The players got together to work with some kids in the community with the Palace Foundation. It was very powerful and very exciting. Everyone likes to be part of something that’s bigger so it has been great.”

Harris is not the only Premier League owner with an NBA franchise - Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke’s company also owns the Denver Nuggets - and he sees the benefits of multi-franchise ownership “certainly at a very high level in terms of sport science and medical, analytical approaches and coaching.

“There’s knowledge transfer in terms of business practice. You could theorise about sponsorship. There’s a high-level connectivity where we’re always looking for that edge.

“But each franchise comes from a unique place and you have to respect that as well and respect the local management.”

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