Wilfried Zaha has been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners in the recent past and if his comments are anything to go by, he has refused to rule out a potential move this summer.
The North London club made an opening bid of £40m but it appears that Crystal Palace are looking for a fee in the region of £70m for a transfer to be completed.
When Zaha was asked about Arsenal’s opening bid after Ivory Coast’s round of 16 clash against Mali, this is what he had to say to On Sport(quotes from Metro):
‘I have no comment on it. The only thing that’s on my mind right now is trying to win this cup [AFCON].’
When asked if he would like to play for Arsenal, Zaha replied:
‘I don’t know… we’ll see in the future.’
The winger has spoken earlier about his love for the Gunners and it is well known that he has been a fan for a long time. Even when he moved to Manchester United in 2013, he mentioned that he was an Arsenal fan.
To add further fuel to the fire, Zaha’s brother Judicael has pleaded with Crystal Palace to let his brother complete his ‘dream’ move. He said:
‘Wilfried will always hold Crystal Palace and their fans in the highest regard and all the support they have given means the world to him. (But) It is my brother’s dream, though, to play for Arsenal.’
Arsenal would be in a better position to complete this deal if they had qualified for the Champions League as this would have meant that they had additional funds to work with. The defeat in the Europa League final has put them in a spot of bother and that has complicated deals such as the one for Zaha.
And Zaha would be a player that will benefit Arsenal due to his playing style. He is a direct and fast dribbler that is capable of unsettling even the most composed of defenses.
Arsenal found that out the hard way when the winger came to the Emirates last season. He would add another dimension to the way Arsenal attack and it will be quite thrilling to see him and Aubameyang or even Lacazette combine.
