Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eberechi Eze, overtaking rivals Tottenham in the race for the midfielder.
Palace had been negotiating with Spurs for over a week on a deal worth £55 million plus add-ons. Tottenham moved for Eze after James Maddison was ruled out for much of the season, but talks stalled as Palace struggled to secure a replacement.
Arsenal re-entered the picture after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s win over Manchester United. The 26-year-old German, who had only just returned from a hamstring issue, is expected to face a lengthy spell out. With Havertz unavailable, Arsenal turned to Eze and quickly offered £60 million, matching his recently expired release clause.
Eze, 27, had been on Arsenal’s radar earlier in the summer. Sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta met him in July, and he was keen on a move, but Arsenal delayed after committing £63 million to striker Viktor Gyokeres. Palace’s clause for Eze expired last week, allowing negotiations to become more complex, but Arsenal’s late push has revived the deal.
Tottenham had explored options to speed up an agreement, even suggesting Richarlison as part of a package. They also assessed replacements for Palace, including Bruges winger Christos Tzolis and Leicester’s El Bilal Khannous, but could not reach terms.
Daily Mail Sport understands Spurs agreed both a fee and personal terms with Eze earlier today, but Palace wanted him available for their Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad. Arsenal’s intervention and willingness to meet Palace’s demands shifted the player’s decision. A boyhood Arsenal fan, Eze is now expected to choose the Gunners.
Tottenham, who have signed Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha this summer and secured a new deal for captain Cristian Romero, have also missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White. Losing Eze to Arsenal will only add to fan frustration.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s move signals intent to strengthen despite earlier suggestions they would seek only short-term cover for Havertz. Eze has been training with Palace ahead of Thursday’s European match, but his future now looks set to be in North London with Arsenal.
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