Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has opened up on the Gunners’ pursuit of Wilfried Zaha - and how the club overruled his attempts to sign the Crystal Palace star and bring in Nicolas Pepe instead.
Arsenal pursued a deal for Zaha throughout the 2019 summer transfer window but they were unable to meet Palace’s valuation for the player - with the club holding out for nothing less than £100m.
Despite a late transfer request, Zaha stayed put. By that point, Arsenal had turned their attention to Lille star Pepe who would eventually land in north London for a club record £72m.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian, the Spaniard recalled the transfer saga and revealed how he was desperate to sign a player who could make an immediate impact - with the club thinking differently.
“We signed [Nicolas] Pépé. He’s a good player but we didn’t know his character and he needs time, patience," Emery said. "I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldn’t need to adapt. [Wilfried] Zaha won games on his own: Tottenham, Manchester City, us. Incredible performances. I told them: ‘This is the player I know and want.’
"I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pépé was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games.’ He beat us on his own.
“It’s also true he was expensive and Palace didn’t want to sell,” Emery concedes. “There were a series of decisions that had repercussions.”
