Pundit tears into Arsenal over insulting £40m bid for Wilfried Zaha

Dean Saunders has scolded Arsenal’s ‘derisory’ £40m approach to sign Wilfried Zaha – and has suggested Crystal Palace could value the player at nearer the £100million mark.

Ivory Coast striker Zaha is said to be keen to quit Selhurst Park this summer with the Gunners strong admirers and amid reports suggesting Arsenal had launched a £40million bid for the Eagles forward.

Palace have already sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United in a deal rising to £50million and it is unlikely they will want to lose Zaha, despite a plea from the Ivorian winger’s brother to make the move happen.

But Saunders, speaking to talkSPORT, feels Arsenal’s offer is an insult, especially in light of claims that they wanted to pay the £40m approach over a five-year period.

“How can they throw in a £40m bid when Aaron Wan-Bissaka has just gone to Manchester United for £50m as a right-back?” Saunders asked.

“Outside the top six, Zaha is probably the best player in the Premier League.

“He’s got to be valued at miles more than that as a winger/striker/number ten, wherever he wants to play.

“He goes past people for fun and he’s played great over the last couple of years.

“He’s got to be worth £100m.”

Zaha scored in the Ivory Coast’s 4-1 Africa Cup of Nations win over Namibia on Monday to help them reach the last 16.

He netted 10 goals for Palace last season and has made 285 appearances for them in two spells.

He joined Manchester United in 2013 but played just four times, also spending a spell on loan at Cardiff, before returning to the Eagles less than two years later.

United retained their 20% sell-on clause in Zaha’s contract as part of the negotiations that took Wan-Bissaka to Old Trafford at the weekend.

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