'Offering £200k wages': Arsenal told deal for 'really good' London-based star won't happen

Charles Watts thinks Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal wouldn’t even sign Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer because it might just disrupt their much-improved wage bill.

The Arsenal transfer expert acknowledged that Wilfried Zaha is a ‘really good player’ ahead of his Crystal Palace contract expiring this month, but he isn’t a player for Mikel Arteta right now, as he told his YouTube channel. 

The 30-year-old has been long linked with a move to the Emirates, but for one reason or another, he hasn’t moved across London.

Well, the all-action forward has a seriously big call to make during these coming weeks, as he heads towards the last phase of the peak years as a player.

He either signs a big-money contract at Palace, which rules out a move to a team much higher up, or the former Manchester United star tastes those European heights again and tries to prove that he can hack it at the elite level.

Watts spoke about Palace offering Zaha ‘£200k-a-week’ and how Saudi Arabia are also trying to lure him towards their direction. 

“I like Wilfried Zaha, I think he is a really good player,” said Watts. “My only issue is that if you are taking him as a back-up, then you have seen the wages that Palace are offering him. You have seen the wages he has been offered in Saudi Arabia.

“If you are going to get Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer this summer, then you are going to have to spend an awful lot of money on wages. Palace have offered him £200k-a-week. He hasn’t taken that. He has been offered huge money in Saudi Arabia and he hasn’t taken that yet.

“I am not really sure you want your back-up on that sort of money. Arsenal have done a lot of hard work on their wage bill. Getting it into a good state because it was in a mess.

“It has allowed them to spend the money they have been able to spend to keep the likes of Saliba, Saka and Martinelli. To throw in an ageing player, and give him a huge amount of money when he’s not going to be a regular in the starting XI, I am not sure.”

Zaha to Arsenal ship has sailed

Perhaps a few years ago this possible deal would have got the Arsenal fans excited, but not anymore.

They have their own dynamic duo – Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka – causing trouble on the flanks now. They are far better than Zaha.

Plus, Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson, who is close to signing a new contract, are the adequate back-ups, so bringing in Zaha on so much money is better served elsewhere.

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