Alan Pardew admits sought-after Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie would be “foolish” not to consider moving to Tottenham.
Bolasie’s sparkling form over the past couple of seasons has apparently attracted the interest of Spurs, although Eagles boss Pardew wants to keep the 26-year-old and recently slapped a £25million price tag on him.
Bolasie has refused to play down talk of leaving Selhurst Park, but Pardew said: “If any of my players get linked to bigger clubs I wouldn’t expect them to (ignore it). It would be a foolish move.
“Players move a lot in the current world of football, they don’t stay at clubs for five, seven years. You have to keep your options open and I have no problem with that.
“The option I want is that is that he’s a Crystal Palace player who is loved by our fans and loved by the management team.
“Yannick is a player who will be linked with other clubs like Tottenham because he is an exciting player.”
Striker Glenn Murray is another Eagle being touted for a move away from south London, with Bournemouth reportedly eyeing a £3million swoop.
But Pardew feels the 31-year-old should stay loyal to the club which gave him his chance in the Premier League after nine months on the sidelines with cruciate ligament damage.
Murray had been farmed out on loan to Reading when Pardew took over at Selhurst, but he returned to play a major role in their storming finish to last season.
SEE MORE: Read Tottenham’s 2015/16 season preview.
Pardew said: “He’s very much our player and someone who has been brilliant for this football club and who will be brilliant for this football club going forward if he remains our player.
“He has all the attributes you want as a striker in the Premier League.
“I was the one who brought him back from loan and gave him the games. So as much as we owe Glenn he owes us for the platform we have given him, particularly in the Premier League, where he did very well for me. I have a good relationship with him.”
Fellow forward Dwight Gayle is likely to leave despite turning down a move to Championship newcomers Bristol City.
Pardew added: “I don’t think Dwight had a flavor for going to Bristol City.
“Sometimes that’s the player’s decision and we stand by that, so he remains our player until such time as another club put a bid in that we accept.”
