Arsenal could be encouraged in their pursuit of a free transfer move for Wilfried Zaha by Marseille’s hesitance to meet his demands, according to a report.
Wilfried Zaha made a goalscoring return to the pitch on Saturday, netting for Crystal Palace against West Ham United after his recent injury absence.
But away from the pitch, Zaha’s future has become the topic of much speculation.
As it stands, the winger’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Plenty of clubs are interested in picking him up on a free transfer, and RMC Sport report that Arsenal, Chelsea, and Marseille are on that shortlist.
The Premier League clubs may see their chances further boosted by Marseille’s financial situation, as the RMC Sport piece suggests the French club would be hesitant to meet Zaha’s demands.
By contrast, Palace are reportedly willing to meet those demands to try and keep Zaha around.
Reports from earlier this week suggested the winger was weighing up a new contract with Crystal Palace, lasting until 2027 and worth more than £10m a season.
But again, Arsenal were mentioned in that report as a potential suitor if contract extension talks don’t pan out, with Zaha uncertain that extending would be in his best interests.
He wants to play European football at some stage in his career, and Palace aren’t close to offering him that.
Arsenal are likely to go big for a midfielder in the summer, and picking up a winger on a free transfer would be an easy way to free up funds.
The Gunners have also been focusing more on Premier-League-proven players in recent windows, adding Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Gabriel Jesus to the starting lineup, as well as players like Leandro Trossard and Jorginho.
Zaha is 30 years old and has seven goals and three assists in his 26 games this season.