According to the Guardian, Arsenal have expressed their interest in signing Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer this summer.
The Ivory Coast international’s contract expires at the end of the season and the newspaper says the Eagles have offered him a new four-year deal worth around £200,000 a week, which would make him the highest-paid player ever in the club’s history.
Zaha is yet to commit his future to the South London club but as wants assurances over Palace’s ambition to qualify for European competition in the coming seasons and he’s concerned about the lack of managerial stability.
The Guardian claims that Arsenal are among the clubs looking to take advantage of the situation as they’ve expressed their interest in signing Zaha on a free transfer this summer.
The Gunners could offer the former Manchester United ace Champions League football next season as they sit at the summit of the league table with 75 points, five points above second-placed Manchester City who have two games in hand.
Mikel Arteta is patiently building a squad capable of competing in the top-flight as well as in Europe. Arsenal appear well-stocked with attacking options following the signing of Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard in the last two windows.
The pair complement the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Emile Smith Rowe but the North Londoners are still in the market to add at least one more attacker and have identified Zaha as a potential target.
Competition
According to Guardian, Arsenal will face stern competition for Zaha’s signature from Chelsea, PSG, Bayern Munich, Roma, and Marseille who are keeping tabs on the winger’s situation, while he has also received interest from Saudi Arabia.
Arsenal tried to sign the Ivorian in 2019 under the tutelage of former manager Unai Emery. Zaha is expected to reject a £9m-a-year offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, opening the door for Arteta’s side to make a move at the end of the season.
Zaha is regarded as one of the best wingers in the Premier League after failing to make an impact at Man Utd as a youngster. Since moving from the Red Devils to Selhurst Park in 2015, he has been a key cog of the Palace team.
The 31-year-old, who is said to be delaying any decision until the end of the season as Palace attempt to escape relegation, is valued at £24m by Transfermarkt, but Arsenal could snap him up on a bargain free transfer.
Zaha has made a total of 455 appearances, scored 89 goals, and 76 assists in the process. This season, the winger has made nine goal contributions in 25 appearances across all competitions.
Read more: Report: Arsenal plot formal bid to sign South American forward
