David Ornstein is as reliable as it gets when it comes to Arsenal news. Whenever he tweets, the Arsenal side of Twitter is always rattled. Which was the case again when the BBC Sport journalist confirmed rumours regarding Wilfried Zaha.
Details on:
• Wan-Bissaka’s Crystal Palace to Manchester United move
• Zaha’s sell-on clause, desire to join Arsenal, their interest + Palace stance
• Torreira #ACMilan, Tierney #CelticFC + Saliba
More on #MUFC #CPFC #AFC Liverpool #LFC & others on @5liveSport tonight from 8pm pic.twitter.com/0Af9KJdZBl— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 26, 2019
The Gunners were heavily linked with a move for the Crystal Palace star this summer. Most sources considered the Londoners favourites as well.
However, the failure to qualify for the Champions League left Unai Emery with a meagre transfer budget of around £45m, ending any hopes of a marquee signing. It was reported that should Arsenal manage to qualify for the European competition, their transfer kitty would he significant enough to make an attempt at signing Zaha.
But as we know, that’s not how things panned out for Emery. The gaffer has now been left with just enough cash to sign youngsters from lower leagues to make up for the gaping holes from last season.
That is, unless the North Londoners manage to “generate” more funds before the transfer window closes. Ornstein reported that the easiest way to bring in the most funds would be to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but that comes with it’s own complications.
The Gabonese international has been touted to depart England for China over a whopping £90 million deal. Though it seems like a great offer for a 30-year-old, Aubameyang is Arsenal’s best option that can find the back of the net as of now.
Meanwhile, Alexandre Lacazette has been arguably an under-performer since his arrival. Last season, the Frenchman scored an average range of 13 goals, none of which came against the top 17 in an away game. Moreover, having Lacazette in the squad has constantly forced Emery to accommodate the former Dortmund superstar on the flanks, robbing him of his full attacking prowess.
To be fair, it would be a much better way to go about things if the ex-Lyon man were to be offloaded. The French international would easily fetch a sum around £50 million or more, which is valuable to his club.
That being said, going through all of this trouble for the Ivory Coast international wouldn’t be worth it at all. Alex Iwobi, one of the most inconsistent and overlooked winger in the league, has constantly matched up or bettered Zaha in almost all important departments. Paying the £80 million Palace are demanding for just-above-average output would be nothing short of foolish business.
If Lacazette has been underperforming then it’s entirely due to a lack of service. Completely disagree with that statement. Not sure what you’ve been watching if I’m completely honest. Off loading Lacazette is a terrible idea and will leave the side with less firepower.
If you intended to raise hackles, you managed it.