The brother of Wilfried Zaha has urged Crystal Palace to accept the transfer proposal from Arsenal, given the forward has the dream of playing European football with his boyhood club. The 26-year-old has been influential towards the Eagles’ stay in the Premier League in the past few seasons and he is now said to be eyeing a bigger challenge elsewhere.
“I hope Palace will be able to see their way to agreeing a deal with Arsenal that allows Wilfried to realise his dream of playing European football for the club he’s supported since childhood. Wilfried will always hold Crystal Palace and their fans in the highest regard and all the support they have given means the world to him. It’s my brother’s dream though, to play for Arsenal.”
The north London club have failed with a £40m bid for Zaha and reports have claimed that the Eagles are looking for around twice the figure. That is unlikely to happen with the Gunners working on a limited £45m budget and it remains to be seen whether they can find another means of reducing the asking price for the Ivorian.
A separate report has claimed that Calum Chambers could be offered as a makeweight in a renewed proposal but even then, the Gunners may have to pay more than the £40m quoted. The Gunners have made just one signing for the summer with teenage forward Gabriel Martinelli joining them from Ituano.