Crystal Palace are currently playing their last game before the winter transfer market  opens for business and the conversations no doubt will surface about the long-term future of their talisman Wilfried Zaha.

The Ivory Coast star is always linked with a departure from Selhurst Park around this time despite him being contracted to the Eagles for the next two and a half years.

Palace's acquisition of Eberechi Eze from Queens Park Rangers before the start of this season has lifted some of the weight off the shoulders of Zaha and he has flourished more, scoring 7 goals in 13 Premier League games, his best return from the same number of games since turning professional.

Legendary Arsenal striker Ian Wright is urging the Palace hierarchy to sign more players in the mould of Eze in order to retain the services of Zaha.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, Wright explained : "The introduction of Eze and Benteke is kind of getting him (Zaha) a little back to form, it seems he's had a little bit more help.

"He's coming up to 28 now and he's a at that stage where he has to stay at Palace now or he's going to go somewhere, I think he's got a few years left on his deal at the moment, so whoever is going to come in is going to have to pay a lot of money.

"What he's worth to Palace may not be what he's worth who wants to buy him so it's a tricky situation he finds himself.

"If Palace can continue to sign players with the capabilities of Eze because their squad is getting old and a lot of players are coming to end of their contracts at end of the season, they need to put players around him that give him that energy and that new impetus to want to stay at Palace for the rest of his career".

Eze and Wilfred Ndidi started on the bench in the ongoing game between Palace and Leicester City while Kelechi Iheanacho was named in the starting lineup.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel