Arsenal are leading the race to land Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer this summer according to reports coming out of France, with the Gunners finally set to land a player they have been long linked with.
Unai Emery famously revealed that he tried to sign Zaha while he was in charge of the Gunners, only for the club to opt for Nicolas Pepe instead, in a move that hasn’t worked out for any parties but still remains the Arsenal record transfer.
Now, five years on, Arsenal seem ready to finally lure Zaha away from Crystal Palace, with the Ivorian out of contract with the Eagles this summer and showing no signs of renewing his deal in south London.
And, as per FootMercato, it is Mikel Arteta’s table-topping side that are leading the way for the 30-year-old, ahead of the likes of Marseille and the financially lucrative middle-east offers, with Zaha himself keen to play in the Champions League.
So far this season, Zaha has managed six goals and two assists, but has also spent several games sidelined with various injuries.
How would he fit at Arsenal?
Not very well, it seems, unless there is set to be a major reshuffle in the Arsenal frontline this summer.
Gabriel Martinelli has made the left-wing spot his own this season, and the Gunners added Leandro Trossard to their ranks in January, with the Belgian having also filled in on the left.
Throw into that the return of Folarin Balogun from a very successful loan move, and the options for left-sided attacker and striker look more than enough for Arteta, with only the right hand side looking a little thin on the ground.
With the Champions League to contend with next season, however, adding someone of Zaha’s quality on a free transfer could be too good to turn down, even if it does hand the Arsenal boss even more selection headaches.
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