Arsenal retaining interest in Wilfried Zaha makes no sense

Wilfried Zaha has been the main Arsenal target more or less for the whole summer but with the imminent signing of Nicolas Pepe and promotion to the senior squad for Reiss Nelson what is the point in continuing that interest?

For context, a whole heap of media outlets today are reporting that Arsenal are still keen on signing the 26-year-old and a new offer is forthcoming.

There is a strong argument that Arsenal are now top-heavy, they have every position covered upfront with sufficient backup and if any area needs strengthening it is the defence.

I can understand why the club would like to sign Zaha, it would give them one of the strongest front lines in football and not just in the Premier League but Zaha really is no longer needed now that Pepe is on board.

Even if you did not fancy Nelson as the backup to Pepe, you still have Aubameyang that can play on the wing.

How is the club going to make space for Aubameyang, Lacazette, Pepe, Martinelli, Nelson, Nketiah, Ozil, Ceballos, Mkhitaryan and so on?

Obviously, by adding Zaha to that list you get even greater options but look behind that lot, what is there?

You can argue that Ozil, Ceballos and Mkhitaryan could be deployed in midfield and then you can have Aubameyang just behind a front three of Lacazette, Zaha and Pepe or maybe even Zaha behind the front three with Aubamyenag moving up but why the need when there is already enough options?

It just does not make sense to me, we need defenders, the forward line is just fine now and more than strong enough.

50 Comments

  1. This transfer saga is to protect zaha from Everton interest or big six rival… So he is going nowhere until auba reach his peak…. Then zaha will move to arsenal…

  2. Can’t see that happening at all just like Juve giving man utd Dybala and Mandzukic plus 10 million for the woeful Lukaku! If it is true I’d welcome that but we absolutely need to fix the defence. Mustafis swansong tonight ??

  3. Odds have come back in that we are interested,but I think our big purchase is done this window so I can’t see it ,strange how Everton have gone for a different target though .
    Probably stay another year with CP then move to Chelsea next season ,I did read they might be interested.
    Shame really because he smashed it against the big teams last season .

  4. I never rated the guy very much, so between him and Pepe it’s no brainer at all. And Palace wanted 60 mil? Ha ha ha hahahhahah
    Maybe 5pur2 will get him at the end of their most productive transfer window so far except the last one where they bought none…. hahhahahhahahaha

    Yeaaaaah we got Pepe! and Tierney! and Martinelli, and Saliba!
    …and Ceballos on lone who won’t repeat Suarez for sure…
    G R E A T !
    Arsenal was on the edge of falling to the 2nd dome of PL and with a little help of the fans, The Board decide to make a serious moves accross the transfer market. I was also in lot’s of doubts cos missing Sven Mislintat was a very bad sign but Arsenal made it without him, or some of those players where started by Sven before he left?

    Leno
    Bellerin Socratis Holding Tierney
    Torreira Willock
    Ozil (Ceballos)
    Auba Laza Pepe

    looks very serious to me! Champions League next season for sure…. and I hope we will get rid of Mustafi, Elneny and Xhaka (I am afraid he is not leaving for sure).

    In the perfect world, next week, we will buy another CB (Holding and Bellerin are not fit to start the season) and better Leno sub then Martinez is.

  5. No need to complain about any addition, it is welcome. Real Madrid is found of arraying stars, so let us join the league, we fans have suffered enough.

    1. Hell Yeaaah we did!
      No it is time to relax and enjoy and not be afraid of… “always difficult away games at Palace or Stoke”!
      Stoke? Where are they? Hhahahhahahahahhaha

  6. I said on a article the other day that i could see us signing both Zaha and Pepe. The only thing with that is i can sed us selling Aubameyang to do so. I dont really like the idea of selling a golden boot winger but it would make some sense. For a start Aubameyang’s age. Then there is the fact that playing Lacazette and Aubameyang together doesnt give us much width. So if you you take one out (in this case Auba) you can put 2 wingers with Laca playing the Firminho role. It would completely change our style of play but if done properly could be very successful. a 433 with Zaha Laca Pepe would be frightening for any defense. Not saying this will happen but it would make some sense as this is probably the last year that we can expect big money for Aubameyang.

      1. U would swap the golden boot winner for zaha and whatever about age auba is going to be in the running for that golden boot another 2 seasons even in preseason his been on it big time looks very sharp do u not realize how valuable a player that guarantees a goal nearly every game is. We need to lock down Tierney.with the zaha money bye a world class defender. And another defender id like to see arsenal take a gamble on is mamadou sakho off palace he was beast with psg and Liverpool until he fell out with klopp.

        1. did you completely ignore the bit where i said i dont really like the idea of selling our golden boot winner. Just stating it could make some sense financially for Arsenal

    1. Football is not all about transfer funds and when we can sell somebody good or buy somebody for nothing (and game FIFA is to blame for that notion too). In the last year there was a lot’s of talk about limited budget and financial fairplay but if you look Arsenal and this transfer window you can spot that all those talks are in vain… BULLSHIT!
      … Please understand that we dnt have to sell Auba and even Ozil, cos Arsenal have enough funds to carry all that and more.
      Any Auba selling talk is just trolling of media like BBCs brainer David Ornstein – shitter.

      Arsenal is not a selling club anymore!

  7. Whilst I doubt it will happen, I wouldn’t say it doesn’t make sense.

    Front three of Zaha.. Laca.. Pepe with Auba as backup for any of positions and the youth would give us great depth and would probably allow Nketiah to go out on loan for the season and get regular game time.

    As I said doubt it will happen but does make a certain kind of sense to me, would still rather we get KT and a decent CB sorted out now though.

  8. I miss the day when demon speed like ovemarc, pires, ljungberg, wiltron, reyes make havoc in premiership.
    We can bring back that glory with zaha and pepe

  9. Follow your logic, it is evidently, an absurd story! These media outlets have had a fantastic storyline about the pursuit of Zaha for the last few weeks, they are not just going to meekly give up. They have to pursue any possible angle, no matter how absurd. You commenting on the story just encourages further nonsense. They would have moved on to Everton pursuing him but for the fact that Everton shut it down by declaring they are moving on. There are worthwhile stories meriting discussion, alas this is not one of those stories!

  10. I highly doubt we will buy Zaha, but if we did, we would have a monster of an attack. In fact, that would be the best attack in the EPL. However, instead of spending that amount on Zaha, why don’t we submit the same bid for Kouliably? That would make our team complete

  11. Silly Column. You listed 4 CM’s/CAM’s as wingers for a start. Zaha will add extra quality and make the squad better. If we can sign him why not?! We definitely need at least 2 CB’s but I’d rather Zaha than Pepe. Has anyone actually seen him play?!

  12. Get Zaha fGs. He has been very impressive. And he really wants to shine at Arsenal. Arsenal is his dream destination. Only few players do say such things in open public.
    With Zaha and Pepe to service to our forwards, we would have a monster attack. Attack is the best defence IMO.
    If we could offload some of our “deadwood” players, we should IMO go all in for Zaha.

    1. It will be very, very interrsting if
      AFC are successful in moving on the
      likes of Mustafi, El Neny, Bielek,
      Boss and Jenkinson before the end
      of the window. I personally dont see
      it happening but imagine if Raul &
      Edu were able to scrounge up another
      £40-£50M from the firesale.

      Who would they go after?

  13. I still think this story has got some legs. It’s not as if we’ve formally said our interest in Zaha is over as Everton have done now they’ve signed Kane who we were also in for. The rumours of another bid going in for Zaha are quite strong but if he does come I’m expecting Auba to go. Arsenal are not mucking around anymore but I have to admit to being a little baffled with the Mustafi/centreback lack of movement.

  14. Who the hell is that concerned about us being linked with another good player? We have been complaining for more than a decade about tyr lack of spending by the board.

    Who cares about having many attackers in the sqaud? Better to have as many options than not.

    Come on “Stan The Man”. Some of us would not complain if you added Zaha to the already exciting transfer business we have had. Just add that young Kieran Tierney and may be another CB then I will get off you back until the Winter Transfer window.

    Thank you very much

  15. OT: How did harry Kane Mohamed sala, Sadio mane got nominated for the Best FIFA Player of the Year and aubamayang that had a better season than harry Kane and shared the golden boot got left out, it doesn’t make sense to me.

    1. Because he has an MBE and aren’t Liverpool the darlings everyone loves (except me) right now?? Makes me a little nauseous

      1. But mostly because those players got to the Champions League final. The powers that be usually pick a player from a successful team. So Mane or Sala are shoe-ins. If we had won the Europa league, Aubameyang would be a nominee.

          1. City are expected to win the champions league with Guardiola and all their financial muscle, yet Spurs took them out.

  16. Buying Zaha, at this point, seems like a waste when you need to buy defenders.

    It’s much more likely that Palace floated the rumour that they’re expecting another bid from Arsenal, in order to get Everton to bid against themselves.

  17. Chambers, Monreal and Sokratis are good enough till when Holding gets fit. I don’t mind top heavy at all 😉

  18. It just doesn’t make sense Sue, if salah Kane and mane can be in that list then aubamayang should be their too.I mean harry Kane missed around 2nmonths last season due to injury and I can’t remember aubamayang getting injured last season so why should harry Kane should be their ahead of aubamayang.

    1. I feel exactly the same, Lenohappy! Even if he’d missed half of the season, he’d still be included! And that Liverpool pair can do no wrong! Well this season I’m expecting us to score a hell of a lot of goals, so surely Auba will nominated!!

  19. After Pepe, we need two more signings. Tierney and Lewis Dunk from Brighton.
    So we can have 5 central defenders. Holding, Dunk, Chambers, Mavropanus, Sokratis. Mustafi as Right back option to Bellerin. AMN to play in midfield.

  20. Admin Martin, long before Pepes imminent transfer was even mentioned, I was as certain as I can be that Zaha would not becoming to Arsenal and posted three times to that effect on here. IT WAS OBVIOUS that Palace do not wish to sell, do not NEED to sell and would be wise not to sell him at all. THEREFORE they were always going to overprice him, as they have done and that would be well out of our budget, given that he is 26 and unlikely to be worth much in a resale, down the track. That was my sound reasoning and I would be gobsmacked with amazement if this happens, EVEN IF PEPE’S TRANSFER FALLS THROUGH! It is and always was, IMO, a total red herring and not worth an article at all, let alone several. Just my opinion but I am prepared to back it with money if anyone is daft enough to challenge me.

    1. The Pepe arrival should’ve killed this rumor. Don’t know why it came back (i guess to sell papers). There is no urgent need for us to overpay for Zaha anymore. He’s not going anywhere this summer anyways. Everton have spent on Moise Kean. They aren’t going to find 80mill more to splash on Zaha, and neither are we. Tierney and a CB are the only possibilities left.

    2. Ah ha Sir John of Foxton!! I, Sir Welbeck of Ashburton challenge you to a duel at dawn. Bring your Pepe and I’ll bring my Zaha and we’ll fight to the death of the transfer window.

      MUAHAHAHAHAHA!! ?

      1. Welbeck, It’s Sir Jon actually, NOT Sir John but for a mere squire you got it mostly right. I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE TO ZE DEATH , SARCASM AT DAWN! Cue sound effects(SFX) of demonic laughter, stage left!(Waves black cloak, magic wand and disappears quicker than Henry from a defenders lunge!)

        1. ????? Why am imagining Star Wars theme music and light sabre sound effects?!? Totally inaccurate as Sir Jon would’ve existed in Arthurian times with the Knights of the Premier League Table.

  21. It does make sense but i would think isn’t very likely. Do we really have that kind of money even on instalments. If we really do spend out on the remaining targets in this window then without departures in the next two windows we will have very little left if it’s then needed unless we exceed all expectations this season coming winning a couple of trophy’s and top 3. However I would let out a little wee if Zaha was signed along with KT and a CB. To be honest if we did get these signing done I would expect more than a top 3 finish and to win a cup

  22. They both play for their home nation, if we did get him it would add depth, one of Auba, Laca, Pepe, and himself would sit out just before a big game or whoever is least pulling their weight. Then there’ll be days when we go 442 and see the four of them. We’d be more set for taking the odd injury up top, also we may have to sell Auba next season if he doesn’t sign, and besides that when the years start catching up it might be good to rest Auba from time, he and Ramsey made a difference coming off that bench last season.

    Despite this I don’t think it’s true, I say you’re right and that we made our big purchase ..I cannot see another huge outlay this window, I think they’d go for an expensive CB like Koulibaly or one of the promising ones in Bundesliga rather than this.

    This is media trying to deflate fans who’re all happy with the work being done, with the efforts. They want fans asking for more than Pepe and Martinelli over being happy with the business. Fans are important to a teams start to the season, important to entire season. Fans are right to be optimistic so I wouldn’t let them move the posts like that, I wonder where this rumour started.

  23. Nice to hear this lovely news, though so many fans would complain of lack of central defends, is high time we think above top four but winning the league. We Arsenal fans have been a mocking stock in the past but now our dream is coming to reality. Having Zaha laca Pepe in our front three is not a bad idea. Long live all Arsenal Fans

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors