Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is ready leave Selhurst Park and wants to join Arsenal, though the Eagles have reportedly set a mammoth £80million asking price.
The Ivory Coast winger enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career last season, scoring 10 times in the Premier League, and has been linked with a host of top clubs – a return to Manchester United has even been mooted.
But according to BBC Sport’s David Ornstein, it is Arsenal who are most interested in signing Zaha and the feeling is mutual.
Zaha is ready to call it quits on his second spell with Palace and wants to challenge himself elsewhere, with his preference being a move to the Gunners.
The problem for Arsenal, however, is how they afford to sign Zaha after Palace set an enormous asking price of £80m to ward off potential suitors.
Having already agreed to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to United for £50m, Palace do not want to let another of their key men leave this summer.
In another blow for Arsenal, United refused to remove the 25% sell-on clause in Zaha’s transfer to Palace during talks over Wan-Bissaka, something which could have reduced the asking price.
Even though Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League, Zaha is still willing to make the move to the Emirates.
However, playing Europa League football next season means Arsenal have a transfer budget of just £45m prior to player sales and they will need to sell a big name – such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – to have any chance of affording Zaha.
