Could totally believe we would try and structure a deal over multiple years but be surprised if palace took took it. Want our original offer 40 million over 5 years starting with £8m this season

I think the majority of large deals are structured over a number of years, mainly for cash flow reasons I’d imagine. It’s very unlikely that any clubs outside of the oil clubs, top Spanish clubs or United pay all their fee up front in one payment.

Oh I wasn't really arguing against that more I've seen some claims that this is evidence that the £40m budget is false but by structuring deals like this then it sort of supports the we only have £40m for this window.

Does feel like this £45m is a load of guff designed to ensure we get value in the market

Bold Tone wrote:

Those figures are not fair as Zaha was the main man and the other 2 were bit-part players.

You are right it completely invalidates the comparison aspect of those figures.
My bad!

Not sure if you're sarcastic or not, but it does.

He is right as i already said.
Straight forward common sense failure on my part.
Oranges and apples is the analogy that springs to mind.

It will take a while but this will get done. Possibly even on deadline day. Buckle up everyone.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert wrote:

For the kind of money we're rumoured to be willing to spend there has to be better or equal targets out there. I'm certain that Chiesa could be had for less this summer for instance. Bloke's got everything we could dream of in his toolbox, and he's fluent in English too.

Anything over £50m for Zaha would be a massive misuse of our resources.

Zaha has gone from overrated to underrated now.

Hardly anybody stretches defences as well as Zaha in the league.

Qwiss! wrote:

Anything over £50m for Zaha would be a massive misuse of our resources.

Agree. 

Zaha is a player of similar quality to what Mane was when Liverpool got him. The latter has obviously gone up a level, but whatever his price was it sure wasn't 70m. The market hasn't inflated that much since then.

Zaha is exactly what we need. Great mix of athletic ability and skill

On the money issue - I would rather we overspend a bit than underspend this summer. This guy will elevate our attack. It’s time to pass Chelsea

Think people are both worrying too much about money and underrating Zaha. He's an elite PL player, proven, entering his prime. Better than Mahrez.

Elite PL player? He’s not the EPL equivalent of Figo was back in the day.

Or Overmars, Pires or Giggs. That is what I think of as ‘elite’. He’s more like your Ashley Young at Villa.

Claudius wrote:

On the money issue - I would rather we overspend a bit than underspend this summer. This guy will elevate our attack. It’s time to pass Chelsea

Coombs wrote:

Think people are both worrying too much about money and underrating Zaha. He's an elite PL player, proven, entering his prime. Better than Mahrez.

Literally nobody on here cares about us spending too much money. It's where we choose to spend whatever sum we have that people care about.

If we sign Zaha and don't address our other issues, then feel free to criticize. Otherwise we're just projecting based on very vague and likely inaccurate information.

This guy, Martinelli, Tierney, Saliba with Ceballos on loan could be a decent enough summer, although I'd like a more senior CB. If signing Zaha hampers our ability to do that sort of business, then we shouldn't sign him, I'd agree with that.

I think it would be a really bad use of resources, but fuck it, let’s just do it. Would be good to have a top dribbler in the squad.

5 days later

After straightening his tie, he needs to get Souness to sort out his dreads.

Only reports in the media I’ve been seeing today is that this mess is over.

Fingers crossed you’re right, Comrade Claudius.

I recognize he’s a decent player but I’m spoiled. I prefer talent that’s a bit easier on the eye than Zaha.

I need someone to choke White with that tragedy of a tie

The mirror says

Gunners boss Unai Emery has already seen the club’s opening £40m approach rejected with Crystal Palace demanding £80m.
Arsenal will get nowhere near that figure but are now discussing putting players into the deal with Calum Chambers, Carl Jenkinson and Mohamed Elneny all possible makeweights.

Claudius wrote:

The mirror says

Gunners boss Unai Emery has already seen the club’s opening £40m approach rejected with Crystal Palace demanding £80m.
Arsenal will get nowhere near that figure but are now discussing putting players into the deal with Calum Chambers, Carl Jenkinson and Mohamed Elneny all possible makeweights.

Isn't it a case of the offer to Palace being their pick of one of those 3?

The only workable player there is Chambers. Our rivals also recognize that our stiffs are indeed stiffs.

The corporal may be of value to them if they haven't got a replacement for Wan-Bissaka.
If we convince them to accept a player exchange, we should do what man united did to us when they gave us Mkhi when we asked for Martial.

Which is what exactly? Give us a player who used to light up Bundesliga and dovetailed beautifully with Aubemayang in the past? Mkhi is problematic but those players mentioned are about as useful as Ivanka at a G20 meeting

[Kaveh Solhekol] Source close to Wilfried Zaha says doubts about whether Arsenal can afford to sign him. Palace have rejected £40m Arsenal bid & they value Zaha at closer to £100m. Palace would not be interested in taking players as part of swap deal. Would only ever happen as last resort.

#AFC | @RobDorsettSky saying he's been told that Arsenal have given up their pursuit of Wilfred Zaha. He adds that he will look into this more.

Pack it in boys. Fun while it lasted.

The same jurno is saying :

"doesn't quite add up" with the talk coming out of Arsenal. He's being told one thing from someone and then something completely different from someone else.

What do we think? Are we being smart about it and working on multiple targets (including this one)and just keeping it quiet or are we just a mess and really tought a 40 mil first bid will get a player valued at 100 mil by his club ? 😆

we're casting a wider net, i'm sure. if we offer the below, it's surely as far as we'd go

Sounds like horseshit.

This deal relies on three players accepting and makes it very uncertain given that all will have to have to take significant pay cuts. Would prefer to keep Chambers and maybe offer Mikhi on loan with the other two but subsidise the wage. It would at least give them a high quality replacement.

I recon once big Wilf returns from AFCON he’ll turn up the heat a bit

That's what we've got to wait and see. Does he go all out for the move when he gets back or not

DK Gooner wrote:

This deal relies on three players accepting and makes it very uncertain given that all will have to have to take significant pay cuts. Would prefer to keep Chambers and maybe offer Mikhi on loan with the other two but subsidise the wage. It would at least give them a high quality replacement.

Zaha is on 120k/week, so if they really wanted any of the 3 players then they could certainly afford their wages.

We were talking about Thuram last week. He was excellent in the u21 cup. I would’ve gone for him, but he wouldn’t be a Zaha alternative. Zaha is much more developed and central to offense than the superficial numbers suggest. I mentioned his dribbles though - he is very confident taking on opponents. He will only explode in value.