Emery asks for extra Arsenal funds to sign £55m attacker

Unai Emery is reportedly ready to ask the Arsenal board to break the bank in order to sign Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha this summer.

Gunners boss Emery was only handed a transfer budget of £45million after failing to reach the Champions League last season, but would have to blow the full amount and more to land his number one attacking target.

Zaha, who is a boyhood Arsenal fan, would be expected to cost at least £55m after another consistent campaign in the Premier League since rejoining Palace five years ago.

Emery, who looks set to sell some fringe stars to provide extra funds to strengthen, would also need to persuade the 26-year-old to play in the Europa League and fight for a way back to the Champions League, according to the report in The Sun.

The Gunners are also keen on getting homegrown talent into a squad, given Aaron Ramsey’s exit, and although Zaha has switched countries to play for Ivory Coast – he is still classed as homegrown on Premier League quotas.

Emery is also chasing £25m-rated Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney, although the Gunners have had an initial £15m bid knocked back.

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