Arsenal and Wilfried Zaha: Please, let’s be realistic

Arsenal are reportedly willing to offer Mohamed Elneny, Carl Jenkinson and Calum Chambers as makeweights in a deal for Wilfried Zaha, Please, can we all be a bit more realistic for a bit?

Arsenal’s chase of Wilfried Zaha is not going particularly well. Although the Gunners are desperate for a wide player and believe that the speedy Crystal Palace man is the potential solution to their problems, acquiring him is proving to be difficult.

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Zaha, according to his brother, wants to leave. He is a boyhood fan, loves London, and wants to begin challenging at the sharp end of the Premier League. But Palace do not particularly want to sell, especially after losing Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United earlier in the window already. That inevitably drives the price up.

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But this being the cash-strapped north London outfit, they decided to play things as they always do, cheaply. Although Palace value Zaha at around £80 million, Raul Sanllehi’s initial offer was at half that amount, a £40 million bid swiftly made and rejected last week. It was an embarrassing offer, one that illustrates the negotiating idiocy that reigns at the Emirates. Nevertheless, it also indicated interest.

This week, there have been vague murmurs that the club is considering a second offer for Zaha. They will not reach the £80 million valuation, — it is an over-inflated value and far beyond the summer transfer budget — but they might get a little closer to what Palace are wanting, perhaps around the £60 million mark.

According to the Sun, the structure of this offer will take a rather odd — and foolish — turn: Arsenal will make another £40 million bid but provide three players, Carl Jenkinson, Calum Chambers and Mohamed Elneny, as makeweights, three players that they value at a total of £40 million.

Now, I am not sure how accurate this reporting is. I certainly have my doubts, that much must be said. But if it is accurate, Sanllehi and negotiations expert Huss Fahmy need to get their head out of the skies and start to engage it just a semblance of reality. Not only will Palace not accept this offer, despite their extended interest in Chambers, but it is not a viable option anyway — if you do not believe that statement, just consider how many four-way player trades have ever been made and you have your answer.

Similarly, the Sun reporting should be more responsible and conservative. I am aware what I am asking here, but there needs to be a greater element of self-questioning and awareness. This is not going to happen, so why even put it out there as a fanciful rumour other than to generate useless content?

All this is to say that the Wilfried Zaha needs some realism. So here are the facts: Arsenal want Zaha. Zaha wants Arsenal. Palace want £80 million. Until anything else develops, that is all we know.