Wilfried Zaha is attracting fresh interest from Arsenal and Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window.
Zaha, 30, has less than six months to run on his current contract and there is a growing expectation that the winger will quit Crystal Palace at the end of the campaign after rejecting multiple offers from the south London outfit.
A host of top clubs, including Italian giants AC Milan, have been credited with an interest in Zaha's services and more suitors are likely to emerge if the forward is available on a free transfer. But while a switch abroad has previously been mooted, speculation is now rife that Zaha could decide to remain in the Premier League - and in the capital.
According to talkSPORT, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is an avid admirer of Zaha and is mulling over a move for the winger, who has been a pillar of consistency for Crystal Palace since returning to the club following a lacklustre stint at Manchester United.
It's claimed that Chelsea are also keeping tabs on Zaha's situation with the Londoners set to continue their spending splurge in the summer under new owner Todd Boehly.
Zaha has made no secret in the past of his desire to test himself at another top club after failing to make the grade at Old Trafford. The Ivory Coast international came close to joining Arsenal back in 2019 after holding discussions with ex-Gunners boss Unai Emery - but the club instead opted to sign Nicolas Pepe in a record deal.
"I had a conversation with the manager, actually," Zaha told Jamie Carragher on The Greatest Games podcast. "He was just like, ‘we don’t need to go through much’. He’s seen me play, he knows I can change games at any time and stuff like that. It was like, ‘yeah, we’d love to have you’. And I was just like, 'I'd love to come'.
Join the debate! Where do you think Zaha will be playing next season? Let us know here.
"The conversation was rather straightforward because I’ve played against him when he’s managed Arsenal, he’s seen what I can do, he’s seen my work rate, what I can add to the team. Obviously, it was up to the club who they chose, and obviously they chose Pepe over me."
Arsenal's decision to bring in Pepe backfired, with the winger currently out of favour and on loan in Ligue 1 with Nice. And Zaha insisted at the time that bringing in a player who is a proven Premier League performer over someone from overseas is a "no-brainer".
He added: "I just think if there’s a player who plays in the Premier League who you see week in, week out, and you know what he does… I feel like it’s a no-brainer," he said.
"The other leagues, I feel like they are totally different, in the Prem there are no easy games whatsoever. Every team is going to give you a run for your money. There’s no game where you’re going to go, ‘yeah, we’re going to win 5-0’.
"That’s my thought. I totally understand what you mean. I feel like when players come from abroad, I don’t know, they just have that edge with clubs, it’s just like [they say], ‘yeah, I may want him a bit more because he’s from there’."
