Arsenal have won the race to sign Nigerian-born Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, with a verbal agreement now in place between all parties. The deal, worth more than £60 million, sees the England international snub Tottenham in favour of the club where he once spent time as a youth player.
The Gunners had long admired Eze but cooled their pursuit in recent weeks, seemingly leaving Spurs in pole position. However, an injury to Kai Havertz has forced Arsenal back into the market for an attacking midfielder, and their renewed interest quickly turned into a decisive move. Havertz missed training on Wednesday with a knee problem, and though the extent of the injury is still unclear, Arsenal acted swiftly to avoid being left short.
Arsenal reportedly weighed up Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as an option, but it was Eze who became their priority target. Sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis accelerated negotiations, reaching an agreement that will see the 26-year-old undergo his medical after turning out one final time for Palace in their Europa Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad on Thursday.
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Palace chairman Steve Parish had been in discussions with Tottenham counterpart Daniel Levy over a potential deal, but Arsenal’s late surge ultimately proved decisive. The North Londoners, who had previously balked at Palace’s £68 million valuation, have now agreed to a package that matches the release clause in Eze’s contract, which expired last Friday.
Eze’s preference to join Arsenal was also a key factor. His desire to return to a club where he briefly trained as a youngster tipped the balance, ensuring Spurs were gazumped despite days of advanced talks.
For Mikel Arteta, the signing represents both a statement of intent and a much-needed reinforcement as Arsenal look to mount another serious title challenge.
