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Former Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna has urged the Gunners not to sign Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha this summer, stating that the Ivorian is too old for them.
Crystal Palace star Zaha will become a free agent in June 2023. According to The Guardian, the Eagles have offered the 30-year-old a new four-year deal, which would see him earn £10 million per season.
The Ivory Coast ace, however, is yet to accept a new deal. According to the aforementioned source, Arsenal and Chelsea are both keeping tabs on Zaha and would like to sign him for free this summer.
During an interview with SportingPost, Sagna was asked whether or not Zaha would be a good signing for Mikel Arteta's side. The Frenchman acknowledged that the Crystal Palace man was a great player but claimed that he might be too old for the Premier League leaders.
Sagna, who was at the Emirates Stadium between 2007 and 2014, said (via HITC):
“He’s [Zaha] 30 years old and whilst I love the player a lot and have always been a fan, Arsenal need to be focusing on signing players around 23 or 24 years old.
“There was a time when they were signing players even younger at 20, which is too young, but 23/24 is the perfect age they should be recruiting quality players at.”
The north London outfit indeed have a rather young squad, with 25.2 being the average age of their 23-man unit. Former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho (31) is the oldest player in the squad, followed by Mohamed Elneny (30) and Granit Xhaka (30).
Former Manchester United winger Zaha has an abundance of experience in the English top flight. He has played 302 league matches so far, scoring 67 times. While he is indeed on the wrong side of 30, signing a player of his experience could prove to be beneficial for Arteta and Co.
Arsenal have shortlisted four midfielders for the summer
Speaking on American TV channel Peacock, renowned journalist David Ornstein claimed that the Gunners had set their sights on four midfield players this summer. West Ham United’s Declan Rice, who is valued at a staggering £100 million, is the first name on the sheet. The player is also believed to be on Chelsea’s radar.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo is the second name on their list. Arsenal reportedly tried to sign the Ecuador international in January but both of their bids were turned down.
In addition to the two holding midfielders, Arsenal are also believed to be interested in Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who will become a free agent next summer. The Blues have long been negotiating a renewal with him but are yet to make significant progress.
Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus is the final name on the shortlist. The versatile midfielder scored twice for Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, showcasing his knack for the spectacular. Earlier this year, he claimed that he was happy at Ajax and would not mind extending his stay beyond June 2025 if presented with a reasonable renewal offer.
