Reports suggest that Arsenal are once again interested in signing Wilfried Zaha, with the club eyeing up a free transfer for the Crystal Palace winger in the summer. The 30-year-old is set to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season, having not extended his contract with the Eagles.
Zaha has attracted interest from clubs across Europe and the Middle East, with talkSPORT revealing last month that Arsenal were keen on signing the Ivorian. Mikel Arteta is said to be a huge admirer of the former England international, and the Gunners are reportedly one of several clubs looking to secure his services.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery was keen to bring Zaha to the Emirates in 2019, but the club instead opted to sign Nicolas Pepe in a £72million deal. However, Zaha is known to be an Arsenal fan and could find the lure of Champions League football at his boyhood club too hard to resist.
According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Arsenal face competition from three European clubs in their pursuit of Zaha. German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are said to be keeping tabs on the winger, along with French outfit Monaco. Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and their rivals Al Ittihad are also in the race to sign him, but Zaha’s preference is reportedly to remain in Europe.
Foot Mercato also reports that Zaha is seeking a salary of £6million-a-year, which equates to around £115,000-a-week. Despite Palace’s struggles this season, Zaha has still managed to contribute six goals and two assists in 24 Premier League games. Only two players have made more appearances for Palace than Zaha’s 455, while his 89 strikes for the south London side see him in tenth spot in their all-time scoring charts.
It remains to be seen where Zaha will end up next season, but it is clear that he will have plenty of suitors. Arsenal will hope that their long-standing interest in the winger will give them an edge in the race to sign him, but they will have to fend off competition from several other clubs if they are to secure his services.