Arsenal
Arsenal plotting late bid for £60m star as Emery eyes surprise signing
Arsenal remain interested in signing £60m-rated Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha despite the imminent arrival of Nicolas Pepe from Lille
We’re now at the business end of the summer transfer window and managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Here, Arsenal are still keen on Wilfried Zaha…
Arsenal remain interested in signing £60m-rated Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha despite the imminent arrival of Nicolas Pepe from Lille, according to iNews.
Unai Emery has been looking to add a top class winger to his squad all summer and we initially targetted Zaha with various reports claiming Arsenal had tabled an opening £40m bid for the Ivory Coast international at the start of July.
Crystal Palace rejected the offer as Zaha still has four years left on his contract at Selhurst Park and they reportedly valued him at closer to £80m – a figure Arsenal refused to meet.
The 26-year-old’s brother Judicael did his best to try and persuade Palace to lower their demands and agree a deal with the Gunners after publicly stating that it’s Zaha’s ‘dream’ to play for Arsenal.
He told Sky Sports News last month:
“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. It is my brother’s dream, though, to play for Arsenal.
“Given all that Wilfried has given to Crystal Palace to help them remain a Premier League club, I hope Palace will be able to see their way to agreeing a deal with Arsenal that allows Wilfried to realise his dream of playing European football for the club he has supported since childhood.”
However, Crystal Palace stood firm over their valuation and Arsenal soon turned their attention to Nicolas Pepe with the 24-year-old winger expected to complete a club record £72m move from Lille today.
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Many assumed Pepe had been signed as an alternative to Zaha and his arrival would spell the end to our interest in the Palace star, however, a surprise report by iNews suggests otherwise.
The report claims Arsenal are still interested in signing Zaha, despite Pepe’s arrival, and are ready to renew our pursuit of the Ivorian during the closing week of the transfer window.
It appears Palace may have lowered their demands as iNews claims the Eagles now want at least £60m for Zaha’s signature and Arsenal are plotting a late move to see if a deal can finally be agreed between the two clubs.
Everton have already seen a £55m offer rejected by Palace but the report says Zaha wants to remain in London so a move to Arsenal would no doubt be his priority if the opportunity to join his boyhood club arose.
READ –> Arsenal transfer news
It would certainly be a shock if Arsenal did go back in for Zaha after signing Pepe and I’m not sure where we’d get the money from but we could yet face further competition for his signature as the Daily Mail claims Napoli are ready to launch a £60m bid for the Palace ace.
