Crystal Palace would not stand in Liverpool’s way if they wanted to sign Wilfried Zaha from them this summer, according to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol.
The reporter claims that Arsenal are struggling to do business with Palace due to them not being in the Champions League next season.
It is understood that the Eagles would be more receptive to Zaha, 26, joining the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City or even La Liga champions Barcelona than they would be to a deal with the Gunners.
“Wilfried Zaha is Unai Emery’s number one 1 target ever since Emery watched him play for Palace at the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal lost 3-2 to Palace in April,” Solhekol said on the Transfer Talk podcast [31m 1s onwards], as shown via Sky Sports’ live transfer blog on Sunday [12:50pm].
“We’ve been told that Emery is desperate to sign him.
“But of course it all comes down to making an offer that Crystal Palace are going to accept.
“I don’t think Crystal Palace are under any pressure to sell him.
“They are being very, very firm.
“They are saying ‘look, he’s our player, we would understand if he wanted to leave to go and play for a Champions League club, but Arsenal are not a Champions League club’.
“They wouldn’t stand in his way if Barcelona or Real Madrid or PSG or Manchester City or Liverpool were trying to sign him.
“But when it comes to Arsenal, they don’t feel that the attraction there is as much as it would be at a club that was in the Champions League.”
The Guardian reported earlier this month that Crystal Palace want around £100million for Zaha and that the winger is earning £130,000-a-week on his deal at Selhurst Park.
OPINION
Do Liverpool need Zaha? Jurgen Klopp has two of the best wide-forward in the world with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, so why would the Reds need to splash what could be a club-record fee on Zaha? The Ivory Coast international is a very good player, there’s no denying that. Last season he scored 10 goals and supplied 10 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Palace. He’s a very good player for a team that is outside of the Premier League’s top-six, but as proven by his previous nightmare spell at Manchester United, he might not be up to scratch when it comes to playing for one of England’s best teams. Zaha is very talented. He’s fast, he’s good on the ball, he’s a good team player and he has an eye for goal. But if Liverpool were going to spend around £100million on a player, he would have to be someone who’d walk into the starting line-up and cement that place with ease. Would he do that at Anfield? No chance. Palace might not stand in Liverpool’s way if they come in for Zaha, but there’s surely no chance that would even happen.
