{"id":1184686,"date":"2021-01-11T14:27:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T14:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1184686"},"modified":"2021-01-11T14:27:26","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T14:27:26","slug":"arsenal-wilfried-zaha-transfer-talk-mikel-arteta-odds","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/arsenal-wilfried-zaha-transfer-talk-mikel-arteta-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on “exceptional” Wilfried Zaha amid transfer talk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mikel Arteta has talked up the talents of “exceptional” Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha but refused to be drawn on speculation linking the player to Arsenal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2019, Zaha met with then Gunners boss Unai Emery to discuss a possible transfer to north London but the club instead plumped for his Ivory Coast team-mate Nicolas Pepe.<\/p>\n

Pepe has since struggled under the burden of his club-record \u00a372million pricetag while Zaha has continued to excel at Palace.<\/p>\n

‘He has done exceptionally well’<\/h2>\n

Asked if he would have liked to have worked with Zaha, the Arsenal boss said on Monday: “Well, undoubtedly he\u2019s a player that has done exceptionally well in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

“He has created a big name because of what he\u2019s been able to do – sometimes just on his own with some individual actions. That\u2019s what people highlight all the time.<\/p>\n

“But yes he\u2019s a player that\u2019s playing for Palace at the moment and I have nothing to comment.”<\/p>\n

Zaha is 10\/1 to move to Emirates Stadium in the January window<\/a> but still has more than two years left on his current deal at Selhurst Park.<\/p>\n

\"zahaSpeaking recently about his failed move in 2019, Zaha said he felt the decision to sign him over Pepe was a “no-brainer” at the time.<\/p>\n

“I just think if there\u2019s a player who plays in the Premier League who you see week in, week out, and you know what he does\u2026 I feel like it\u2019s a no-brainer,” the boyhood Arsenal fan told Jamie Carragher’s Greatest Game podcast.<\/p>\n

“The other leagues, I feel like they are totally different, in the Prem there are no easy games whatsoever. Every team is going to give you a run for your money. There\u2019s no game where you\u2019re going to go, \u2018yeah, we\u2019re going to win 5-0\u2019.”<\/p>\n

Zaha would add new dimension to Arsenal<\/h2>\n

Pepe has created just two chances in 11 Premier League matches for the Gunners this term while Zaha has played 16 key passes in 15 appearances.<\/p>\n

Zaha has also completed more take-ons per 90 minutes and while he has had fewer shots, the Palace man is far more efficient in front of goal this term – outscoring Pepe eight to two in the league.<\/p>\n

Of course, things might have played out differently for Zaha at Emirates Stadium, but his statistics point to an individual flair – singled out in Monday’s press conference by Arteta – which would certainly add a new dimension to the Gunners attack.<\/p>\n

Zaha added: “I’m very ambitious so in my football career I want to sit back – not that this may not happen with Palace – I want to sit back and say I’ve managed to win this.<\/p>\n

“I take every day as it comes and see what happens in the future.”<\/p>\n

Wilfried Zaha to join before February 2 (via SkyBet<\/a>)<\/strong><\/p>\n