Chelsea and Manchester United handed boost as Arsenal withdraw from race for winger

Arsenal's failure to qualify for the Champions League has ended their hopes of signing Wilfried Zaha, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Crystal Palace winger is keen to depart Selhurst Park this summer in order to test himself at the highest level.

Arsenal were among the clubs interested in the winger, but Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Europa League final means they will not be acquiring the Ivory Coast international.

Unai Emery's side needed to win Europe's secondary competition to qualify for the Champions League after failing to finish in the top four in the Premier League.

Their defeat in Baku has therefore boosted Chelsea and Manchester United's chances of landing of Zaha.

The Blues, who hope to have a two-window transfer ban delayed or overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have identified the Palace forward as a potential replacement for Real Madrid-bound Eden Hazard.

And United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a fan of Zaha, having worked with the winger during his time in charge of Cardiff.

READ MORE

Why Liverpool vs Tottenham is a two-fingered salute to football's era of the individual

The 10 best teams that DIDN'T win the Champions League

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).