Arsenal have reportedly been joined by neighbours and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Crystal Palace attacker Wilfried Zaha.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Premier League bigwigs and bitter rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out for the signing of Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace in the summer.
Zaha has been thriving at Crystal Palace ever since he returned to Selhurst Park following his doomed spell at Manchester United. So far, across his two stints with the Eagles, the 28-year-old has made 385 appearances, scoring 66 goals and setting up 72 more. The Ivory Coast international has been in decent nick this term, bagging nine goals and two assists from 22 league outings.
Zaha’s performances with Palace have seen him get linked with a move to a bigger club season after season. In fact, Arsenal have been one of his most ardent suitors and even came close to signing him last summer, as revealed by the player himself.
Ahead of the upcoming transfer window, Arsenal seem set to rekindle their interest in Zaha, which is quite understandable given the plight of their attack this term. Indeed, the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian, Nicolas Pepe have all struggled to perform on a consistent basis for the Gunners.
This has left young Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe to carry the majority of the burden in the attacking third, something that needs to be addressed before next season starts. Zaha, given his proven pedigree in the Premier League, coupled with his ability to play out wide or centrally, can be a great addition to Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, Arsenal are likely to have to face serious competition from neighbours Tottenham in the Ivorian’s pursuit. Spurs, like, Arsenal could need attacking reinforcements in the summer as Gareth Bale’s loan spell comes to an end while Erik Lamela will be entering the final year of his contract and may be moved on by the management.
Furthermore, there has been interest in the services of Son Heung-min from German champions Bayern Munich as per the report, while the South Korean is also on the radars of Real Madrid. Irrespective of whether Son stays or leaves, someone like Zaha could elevate this Tottenham attack to a new level.
Zaha is contracted with Crystal Palace till the summer of 2023 and the report states that an offer of around €40 million could be enough to convince the Eagles to part ways with the 28-year-old. It now remains to be seen who among Arsenal and Tottenham make a move to sign the former Manchester United man.
