According to a recent report by The Sun, Arsenal are still interested in acquiring the signature of Crystal Palace speedster Wilfried Zaha who expects to leave Selhurst Park at the end of this campaign. However, the same source has also revealed that Bayern Munich could battle the Gunners and are also eyeing a move for the Ivory Coast international this summer.
Zaha’s Form Has Taken A Slight Dip At Selhurst Park This Season
With the long-term future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang quite uncertain at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta will do well to bring a striker of Zaha’s skillset to North London in the summer. The 27-year-old has struggled to hit the heights from last season, but he has still scored three goals and provided five assists in 30 matches for the Eagles this term in all competitions. His incredible contributions in the offensive end of the field have helped Palace steer clear of the relegation zone heading into the business end of this campaign.
Zaha has averaged 1.5 shots, 1.0 key passes and 4.7 dribbles per game in the English first division this season which highlights his growing influence in Hodgson’s first-team (stats via whoscored). The ex-Manchester United winger has also earned 17 senior caps for the Ivory Coast national team and has registered five goals for his country in the process.
However, he will likely take part in the next edition of the African Cup of Nations, which means that he could miss several matches next season due to his international commitments.
Will The Ivorian Be The Right Choice For The Gunners?
On his day, Zaha can be an unstoppable force in the final third as he has the pace and trickery to cause all sorts of problems for the opposition defenders. He doesn’t mind running the channels in the opposition half and is versatile enough to play on either flank or as a forward down the middle. His versatility, coupled with his ability to win matches, make him an excellent choice for the Gunners to consider before the start of the new campaign.
A summer move to Arsenal could help Zaha produce better numbers at the attacking end as some top attacking talents will surround him in Arteta’s first-team. He will not only add some goals and assists to the Gunners frontline but will also improve their squad depth for the new campaign.
Arteta doesn’t have too many natural wide players at his disposal with Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka the only exceptions. Hence, the Ivorian will add another dimension to the Spanish head coach’s attack and will also allow him the freedom to be more experimental with his formation and tactics in the coming years. All in all, Zaha seems like a decent fit for the North London giants as long as he is available for a fair price this summer.
