Alan Pardew has insisted his summer signing Yohan Cabaye would not be out of place at Arsenal, his club’s opponents on Sunday.
The Crystal Palace manager was in charge at Newcastle United in the summer of 2013 when Arsène Wenger made a £10m bid for the attacking midfielder. A transfer to north London did not materialise, and when Wenger renewed his interest in Cabaye in January 2014, he was beaten to the 29-year-old’s signature by Paris Saint-Germain, who paid around £20m for the player’s services.
Cabaye’s spell in the French capital did not work out and Pardew brought him to Palace this summer for a £10m fee that could rise to £12.5m.
Pardew said of Cabaye, who scored for Palace in their win against Norwich City on the opening day of the season: “I go back three years ago when Yohan wouldn’t play at Manchester City because he thought he was going to Arsenal. So it is quite ironic he’s here with us at Palace.
“He’s a fantastic player, we are honoured to have him and he is definitely the level of Arsenal players. I don’t think Arsène Wenger or anyone at Arsenal would disagree with that. We have a player who could definitely play in their team and that is a nice feeling for us. He can give us control in games.”
Pardew hopes Cabaye will show his best on Sundayagainst the team who once coveted him but knows Palace will face a reaction from Arsenal after their 2-0 home defeat to West Ham United.
Pardew said: “I’ll be surprised if they’re not a wounded side. Their manager has enough experience to turn that result against West Ham from a negative into a positive. It was a great performance by West Ham. I was there, and they deserved to win and Arsenal will be looking to rectify that.”
Pardew also spoke of Dwight Gayle’s reluctance to leave, despite telling the striker he is free to join another side. Palace have accepted a bid of £6m from Bristol City for the 24-year-old but Gayle seems unsure of moving to the Championship club.
“Dwight last year was a little bit upset he wasn’t involved in the first team and quite rightly,” Pardew said. “This is a guy who has got 20 goals in him. It’s difficult sometimes to fit him in to the way I play.
“He then came and saw me at the start of the season and expressed a view to move elsewhere. I’m in such a great position with the players I have, I said: ‘OK, that’s fine with me and we’ll try and get you a club’..
“Now there is a club and there is a reluctance to go. The ball is firmly in Dwight’s court but as far as I’m concerned this is a player that is perhaps going to go. It’s about the boy understanding the best scenario for him. At the moment, it’s not here.”
