BBC reporter, David Ornstein claims that Arsenal is Wilfried Zaha’s preferred destination as the Crystal Palace eyes a Selhurst Park exit this summer.
The Gunners have been credited with a strong interest in the 26-year-old and Unai Emery is setting up plans to sign him.
The biggest and most obvious hiccup in this transfer saga has to be the player’s asking price – Palace are demanding £80m for Zaha. Arsenal are nowhere close to acquiring that sort of cash after the season they just had.
Emery’s men missed out on Champions League football yet again which took a severe hit on next season’s spendings in the transfer windows. The manager wants to improve the squad but has a meagre £45m budget to do so.
Ornstein claims that the Gunners are looking to make at least three additions which makes this particular report completely speculative. Maybe this is all Arsenal will ever be in relation to Zaha – a preferred destination.
Next season, the Emirates might witness the Ivory Coast international embarrassing a certain Shkodran Mustafi once again, but this time in a Manchester United or a Tottenham Hotspur shirt.
Just like the situation in January, Unai Emery’s hands are completely tied this summer unless he can find ways to move Mesut Ozil or Henrikh Mkhitaryan out of the club. Both the attacking midfielders are old and collect tidy sums of money every week.
Relieving the club of their contracts could offer up a few more pounds in the transfer budget but still the Gunners will not get anywhere close to the £80m mark.
See Also: Arsenal Transfer Targets List Summer 2019
