Arsenal are being priced out of a deal to sign Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
The Gunners want to part with just £40million to land the forward but Palace are holding out for double this fee as they look to recoup as much money as possible for their prized asset.
Zaha took the Premier League by storm last season and is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need on the wing for the coming campaign as they plot a return to the Champions League.
But whether the former Manchester United forward is an £80million player has sparked debate.
Either way, Palace are showing no signs that they're willing to lower their asking price for Zaha, meaning the cash-strapped Gunners will likely miss out.
So why are Palace hell-bent on receiving a seriously inflated fee for their prized asset?
Well, firstly, the south London club are making the most of the way in which the transfer market has been warped in recent years.
Palace recently sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £50million - a record fee for a full-back - to Man United, so are aware that persistence has its financial benefits.
But secondly, and more importantly, there is a clause in Zaha's contract that is playing a huge part in complicating the deal.
When Palace re-signed Zaha from Manchester United the Red Devils insisted on a 25 per cent sell-on fee being inserted in his new contract.
This means that the Red Devils will earn a quarter of Zaha's future transfer fee.
If Crystal Palace agree to sell Zaha to Arsenal for £40m then they will only make £30m from the transfer. But if they sell him for £80m, they'll get £60m.
Palace have therefore upped their asking price to ensure they profit from the sale.
