Wilfried Zaha: The right man to replace Christian Pulisic?

Wilfried Zaha has become the latest winger to be linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund, but is he the right choice for the club?

Wilfried Zaha has been a hot commodity for some time now, with a plethora of clubs linked with the Ivorian forward in every transfer window for the last few years. In many ways, Zaha is considered a “big fish in a small pond” at Crystal Palace. A product of the Palace Academy, Zaha spent his youth with the Eagles, initially moving to Manchester United in 2013. After a loan to Cardiff, Zaha was unable to break into the United first team. He was sent back to Palace on loan for the 2014-15 season. A year later his return was made permanent and Zaha was back at the club where it all started. Since then, he’s been Palace’s talisman, their major creative force and scoring threat.

Some of the most recent links pointing to a Zaha exit have indicated that he may be coming to the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund have reportedly shown interest in the player for the past two transfer windows. Links surfaced in July and August of 2018 that Dortmund were interested, one source citing that Dortmund was willing to offer Andre Schürrle in a swap deal. The same source indicated Palace should have demanded Sancho in the deal instead. We can safely say that the alternative deal suggested had little to no chance of happening, to our collective relief.

And here we are, in the midst of the winter transfer window, once again linked with Wilfried Zaha. The Guardian, among others, has indicated that Die Schwarzgelben are ready to break the club’s transfer record and sign Zaha for 50 million pounds. Recent comments made by Michael Zorc regarding Zaha have been used to fan the flame of a potential transfer to the German giants as well, and often these links frame Zaha as the heir to the departing Christian Pulisic.

The question is, how well can Zaha fill the void left by the American international, and is he worth the 50 million pound valuation? Or is Dortmund better off looking elsewhere to replace Pulisic?

Wilfried Zaha: Stats comparison

Wilfried Zaha’s numbers this season leave much to be desired in the footballing department. In his 20 Premier League appearances so far this season, (1798 minutes), Zaha has amassed a total of 3 goals and 2 assists. He averages about 2.2 shots per game, with his involvement also including approximately 1.5 key passes per game. With regards to passing, his pass success completion rate is a modest 76.9%. Zaha has also never scored more than 9 goals across all competitions in a single season, which is a worrying statistic to say the least. Take a moment to let that sink in.

Now, let’s compare Zaha to another star player Dortmund have been linked with. Thorgan Hazard, another big name said to be on Die Schwarzgelben’s radar, has put up fantastic numbers this season, setting him apart from Crystal Palace’s number 11. Lucien Favre is a massive fan of the Belgian International, and it’s not hard to see why when looking at his performances this season. In 18 appearances so far, Hazard has scored 9 and assisted 6 in the Bundesliga alone. He also has 3 goals to his name in the DFB Cup. His pass success percentage is similar to that of Zaha’s at 75.6 percent, but he beats Zaha once again with his key passes per game with 2.7, as well as in shots per game with 2.3.

It’s clear that Hazard is much more productive for his team. With similar stats he has been able to create more opportunities and be more influential for Borussia Monchengladbach than Zaha has been for Palace.

There is an argument to be made that Zaha plays for a much less creative team than Hazard does, and that is something that should not be overlooked. At Gladbach, Hazard has players like Alassane Pléa and Patrick Herrmann he can work with to create goal scoring opportunities. At Palace, Zaha is relied upon more often than not to cause all the threat, with the talent surrounding him not as ample as that which Hazard has to work with.

It could also be this pressure that doesn’t allow Zaha to be as influential. In a team like Dortmund, Zaha does in fact have the potential to be more prolific, but it’s a very expensive risk to take, especially because Zaha has recently signed a new contract with Palace. Hazard, on the other hand, is a tried and tested Bundesliga player that has only gone from strength to strength since Gladbach procured him from Chelsea.

He already knows the league and the transition would be much more seamless, and while it’s never a given that a player will be a success at a new club, Hazard is likely to cost less than 50 million pounds, making it less of a financial risk as well. Zaha’s wages of 130,000 pounds are also something Dortmund would have to take into account. In my opinion, this is a risk too great for Dortmund to take on a player that has only impressed in glimpses.

Zaha and Pulisic: Would Zaha really be a “replacement”?

All this talk of Borussia Dortmund looking for a “replacement” for Christian Pulisic brings to mind the idea that they are looking for a “like for like” player to come in and fill Pulisic’s void. Would Zaha fit the bill, statistics aside? Lets take a look:

In comparing the two players, the first similarity is their versatility. Both Zaha and Pulisic can play on either wing. Zaha is also capable of playing as a number nine and could line up as a partner for Paco Alcacer in the striker position, which would be the role I feel Zaha would be more suited for in our lineup. This position would hardly see him replace Pulisic, however. Pulisic, on the other hand, is also able to play centrally behind the striker, as has been proven with his performances for the US National team, where he predominantly plays behind the strikers.

Another attribute both players have in common is a very direct style to their game. Zaha and Pulisic are pacey players that love to take on their opponents and have the ball at their feet. Zaha has attempted 6.96 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League, completing 3.06 per 90 he plays. The 2017/18 Champions season saw Pulisic put up his highest number of dribbles per game for Dortmund with 4.2 per game, despite Dortmund having a torrid run in the competition and crashing out in the group stages.

The comparison between the two players deviates when it comes to their physical nature. Pulisic is certainly the less physical of the two, relying more on turning his man with fancy footwork than powering through them. Zaha, on the other hand has the luxury to do both, as his physical nature provides him the strength and edge to out muscle defenders.

Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Overall, the idea of Wilfried Zaha joining Dortmund isn’t one I’m necessarily against, but in my eyes Zaha would be better suited in another role under Lucien Favre’s system, namely as a strike partner for Alcacer. The problem with this is that I don’t see Dortmund spending 50 million pounds on Zaha and then going out of their way to buy Thorgan Hazard.

In the end its not about getting a player that will replace Pulisic like for like, but rather one that will fit in both our budget and Favre’s system. If Borussia Dortmund are going to make a prolific signing, I would hope it would be a player that has proven to be a game changer season after season, putting up numbers that can help us challenge Bayern Munich for years to come. Given the option to go in for Hazard, Zaha simply seems like a risk I would not be willing to take.

All of this may come to nothing but idle chatter, however, considering Roy Hodgson’s most recent comments indicating that there have been no talks as of yet. Borussia Dortmund are in no rush to make their marquee signing and will wait until the end of the season to make a decision. They have Pulisic until their final game in May. The hunt for his replacement will wait until the summer. In that time we can see how Zaha’s season unfolds, and I may end up eating my words after the final ball is kicked.