According to reports by Sportsmail, Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha wants to join Arsenal this summer and has informed his club of his desire and urged them to reach an agreement with the club he supported as a boy.
Crystal Palace have this window lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United in a deal worth over £50m and their position was that only one of their academy products would be allowed to leave. But winger Zaha, 26, is refusing to accept his chances of a move are over and remains determined to secure his own big-money switch from Selhurst Park.
Palace have put a huge £80m price tag on talisman Zaha, a figure, which would put him out of Arsenal’s price range. The Gunners have a starting budget of around £45m following their failure to qualify for the Champions League. That has left Zaha hoping that Palace chairman Steve Parish will lower the club’s demands to help make his dream switch a reality.
During negotiations for the Wan-Bissaka deal, Palace were unable to reduce or remove the clause that would require them to pay Manchester United 25 per cent of any profit should they sell Zaha. That would only increase Palace’s determination to secure a huge fee for Zaha from Arsenal, who have held initial talks over a move, or any other club. Zaha is currently in his second spell at Palace. He inspired them into the Premier League in his first and has helped them consolidate in the top-flight during his second, a five-year stay following an ill-fated spell at Manchester United.
Zaha, who revealed his desire to move on in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail in April, hopes his service will now be taken into consideration by Palace and he is not priced out a move. Zaha’s stance will be a boost to Arsenal boss Unai Emery who wants Emirates chiefs to fund a move for Zaha, who is currently on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.