John Salako admits he feels for Wilfried Zaha after the summer of speculation over his future, but has warned the Crystal Palace star that he must "suck it up" and focus on his football.
The Ivory Coast international was heavily linked with a move away from Palace this summer, with Arsenal and Everton among the clubs interested in signing him.
Both clubs had bids rejected for the 26-year-old by Palace, and Zaha ultimately stayed in south London, despite submitting a transfer request the day before the deadline in the summer window.
He has since featured in each of Palace's three Premier League games, coming off the bench on the opening day against Everton, before starting against Sheffield United and Manchester United.
And although recent reports suggest that Paris Saint-Germain are considering a £100million bid for Zaha ahead of the transfer deadline in Europe, Salako has sent a message to the player over his future.
"I actually feel for Wilfried. He got tempted by the lure of playing for a bigger club, maybe playing in the Champions League," he told Love Sport Radio .
"He'd made his mind up to go, but the right offer just didn't go on, and he had to stay.
"He's got to suck it up. You could see him sulking first day on the bench against Everton. Then away against Sheffield United, he just never played. He was looking a bit sulky and wasn't happy, but at Old Trafford, a club he played for, up against [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka, he had a point to prove."
But Salako feels that while Zaha staying is "massive" for Palace and that he could be the difference for the Eagles in Premier League games, the former Palace coach feels he is ready to make the step up to a bigger club.
And he feels that Zaha could improve working with some of the best players and managers.
"When he went to Manchester United, he wasn't quite ready, a bit immature still both as a player and in himself as a person," he said.
"But I think he's ready now. His physicality can't be touched, he's just phenomenal in what he can do on the ball, what he can do off the cuff, how he can adapt to new systems and patterns of play."
"A [Mauricio] Pochettino or a [Pep] Guardiola could bring out so much more in him. I think he'd really relish that, and he'd flourish at a bigger club."
