Newcastle must look to land Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha this summer amid Marcus Bent's transfer claim.

What's the story?

The Ivory Coast international has long been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, with reports last summer suggesting that Steve Bruce's side were very much one of the clubs interested in signing him.

Now, speaking to FFC's sister site, This is Futbol, Bent has touted the Magpies as a potential destination for Zaha were he to finally leave the Eagles this summer.

He said: "Zaha has not been that consistent this year, but we know he’s a talent. We spoke about him going to Everton, two years ago Everton would have snapped at the chance, but I don’t think he’s a player they want.

"Newcastle would be a great team to go to. He needs a bigger pedestal to play on and better players around him."

Imagine him and Saint-Maximin

Already boasting one of the Premier League's elite dribblers in Allan Saint-Maximin, Bruce could help form a terrifying Newcastle duo by landing Zaha this summer and unleashing him with the Frenchman as a wing duo.

Zaha's average of 4.5 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season was only bettered by two players: Wolves' Adama Traore, and Saint-Maximin himself. Their abilities to play across the front-line could see them interchange positions, and make for the kind of modern forward-line used by the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona of yesteryear.

In fact, Zaha's Palace teammate James McArthur waxed lyrical about his abilities back in 2018, saying: "He is just unplayable at times and I wouldn’t like to be a defender playing against him. For us, he is a great asset when you can give someone the ball and he can run 40 yards with it."

Essentially, Zaha would bring a lot of the same characteristics that Saint-Maximin has in his locker.

The £40.5m-rated star would ensure that Newcastle had an added threat to go along with Saint-Maximin, and that if teams do try and double up on the Frenchman, then Zaha would have more space himself to wreak havoc.

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It would cause opposition defences all sorts of dilemmas about how best to deal with the two of them on song together, and why it could be a scary prospect for the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing this former Premier League starlet...