Arsenal desperately need to sign a winger to bolster Mikel Arteta’s firepower ahead of next season. Raphinha seemed to be the main target for the Gunners but a deal fell through after Chelsea attempted to hijack a deal.
The Gunners need to add more firepower to their attacking ranks preferably with the necessary Premier League experience and there is a chance to do that by exploring an old transfer target in Wilfried Zaha, who only has one year remaining on his current deal meaning he can be signed for a bargain price.
However, if the Gunners were to explore Zaha's contract situation they will be met with competition. Jose Mourinho is also said to be interested as according to Sky Italia, Roma are interested in signing the Crystal Palace winger.
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Daily Mail reported earlier in the season that Crystal Palace are willing to sell the winger in the summer as they feel they’re finally in a position to cope without him with Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in their ranks.
The Gunners have previously shown interest in the winger, and with the failure to sign Raphinha in this transfer window, Zaha could be an excellent alternative considering he has the necessary Premier League experience.
The 29-year-old was repeatedly linked with a move to Arsenal during Unai Emery’s spell as the club’s boss. However, a deal never managed to materialise and it seemed as though both parties realised that a transfer would never happen.
But Nicolas Pepe’s inability to settle as a player at Arsenal could have reopened the door for Zaha to make the switch to north London. The Gunners need to make the decision whether to keep or sell Pepe this transfer window, as he has entered the territory of having less than three years left on his contract.
The Ivorian joined the club in 2019 for a club-record fee of £72m from Lille with the highest of expectations due to his success in Ligue 1. But he has only contributed with 27 goals and 17 assists.
If the Gunners were to sell Pepe at the end of the season, then competition alongside Saka would certainly be needed. Despite the excellent performances the Englishman has shown for Arsenal throughout the season, there has been times when he has shown signs of burnout, and having someone who can help successfully share the attacking load would certainly be beneficial.
Zaha certainly could be a short-term solution to this. He has proved through the last five seasons that he is one of the most feared wingers in the Premier League and has kept Crystal Palace floating above water in the top division.
A deal could certainly be possible as a video emerged on social media of Zaha being interviewed by Italian journalist Alessandro Schiavone in 2017. And when asked which team the Palace star supported as a child, he said: "Arsenal. Still do."
Zaha certainly should not be Arsenal’s first choice to replace Pepe due to his age. However, if Arteta is looking for a short-term solution, then the signing of the Crystal Palace winger would make sense.
However, a deal will not be easy to complete with Mourinho also reportedly registering interest in the Ivorian international. But Zaha’s admittance at being an Arsenal fan could give the Gunners the key edge if Edu was to reignite interest in the player.
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