Arsenal face a struggle to improve their squad this summer on a much-reduced transfer budget, but that hasn't stopped Unai Emery from making bold moves.
Failure to qualify for the Champions League yet again leaves the manager with around £40m to spend and he is already pursuing a deal for Celtic's Kieran Tierney at around half that figure.
One forward is already through the door though, the relatively cheap Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano, and Arsenal are now looking to seal an audacious move for Wilfried Zaha.
But a club-record cost and Crystal Palace's strong negotiating position looks to have the Gunners on the back foot from the start.
Here's what we know so far...
Is the deal close?
No. Not by a long shot. Arsenal saw an opening bid of £40 million, spread over five years, rejected immediately. That is understood to be near the top end of their budget so Unai Emery will have to get creative.
Standard Sport understands Arsenal are prepared to offer at least one player as part of an improved second offer and are hopeful Zaha’s desire to move could force down Palace’s asking price but that alone is unlikely to be enough to secure an agreement.
Carl Jenkinson is available, with Palace looking for a right-back after selling Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Mohamed Elneny is also surplus to requirements. Shkodran Mustafi is another player among several Emery is willing to part with
Shortly after news of the £40m bid broke, Zaha’s brother Judicael told Sky Sports that is was Wilfried’s "dream" to play for Arsenal.
He said: "Given all that Wilfried has given to Crystal Palace to help them remain a Premier League club, I hope Palace will be able to see their way to agreeing a deal with Arsenal that allows Wilfried to realise his dream of playing European football for the club he has supported since childhood."
How much will he cost?
Crystal Palace put a £100m valuation on Zaha's head before the summer window, prompting Tottenham to quickly end their interest in a player they have long desired.
Palace are understood to be open to discussions nearer the £80m—having told Arsenal to double their opening offer and cough up the fee inside a year— and believe they are in a strong negotiating position.
Zaha last year signed a £130,000-a-week contract tying him to the club until 2023 and there is no release clause for potential suitors to trigger.
The timing of Arsenal stepping up their interest will also not work in their favour, coming just days after Wan-Bissaka's £50m sale to Manchester United and knowing Palace will, therefore, be even more reluctant to part with their best player.
What is Arsenal's budget?
Unai Emery has a budget around £40m to spend this summer after failing to qualify for the Champions League for a third season on the trot, so any deal with Crystal Palace would have to be heavily subsidised by players or structured over a number of years, the latter of which Arsenal have already tried.
Finishing in the top four, or beating Chelsea in the Europa League Final, is understood to have doubled that figure. North London rivals Tottenham, for example, earned north of £60m from the Champions League alone last season.
The departures of first-team members Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichtsteiner has freed up space on a wage budget previously stretched by Mesut Ozil's remarkable £350,000-a-week salary.
Is he good enough?
Definitely. Zaha failed at his first crack at a top-six club, but that was a Manchester United under David Moyes, so in near-complete disarray, and by all accounts was not given the warmest of welcomes before being shipped out to Cardiff City on loan after six months.
Six years on and Zaha is one of the best players in the Premier League in a team always battling against relegation. His consistency can be questioned at times but, as a rule, if Zaha plays well then Crystal Palace play well.
Linking up with the likes of Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will surely only boost his output after hitting 10 goals last season and providing a further five assists.
