Arsenal have been on the hunt for a winger throughout the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta needs to find a player who can provide stern competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
And it seems the Gunners have been given a boost in their attempts to strengthen in this position. Wilfried Zaha has been linked with a move to the club for a number of years, but has also recently attracted attention elsewhere.
Chelsea were heavily linked with a move for the Ivorian international, however football.london understands that deal is now very unlikely between the Blues and Crystal Palace. This provides a major boost for Arsenal.
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After what happened with Arsenal and Chelsea's Raphinha pursuit earlier in the summer, another transfer battle between the two London clubs could have spelled disaster once again for the north London side.
Arsenal's summer transfer window of incomings slowed down after losing out on Raphinha to Barcelona. The Gunners seemed to have the edge on signing the Brazilian until Chelsea attempted to hijack a potential deal, but the winger ultimately decided to join Barcelona.
The same situation could have been repeated with Zaha. Alongside Chelsea’s initial reported interest, transfer guru Dean Jones claimed that the 29-year-old is also an option for technical director Edu. Speaking about Arsenal's options on The Done Deal Show, Jones said: "They're not the only two names they're looking at (Neto and Pino). In the background, there is Wilfried Zaha.
"That deal is not moving forward at the moment, but Zaha is definitely one of those players that ticks the boxes and that Arsenal have an eye on. We will have to wait and see if they go down that path, Zaha is obviously in red-hot form at the moment."
Mikel Arteta is thought to be on the lookout for a new winger before the window slams shut, and the unsuccessful pursuit of Raphinha has been the strongest hint yet that the club is serious about recruiting one. Players such as Pedro Neto and Moussa Diaby were quoted as alternatives, but these deals never got into an advanced position.
Zaha has proven through the last five seasons that he is one of the most feared wingers in the Premier League and has kept Crystal Palace floating above water in the top division.
A deal could certainly be possible between the winger and the Gunners as a video emerged on social media of Zaha being interviewed by Italian journalist Alessandro Schiavone in 2017. And when asked which team the Palace star supported as a child, he said: "Arsenal. Still do."
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