- Eze rejected Spurs and chose Arsenal despite heavy interest from Tottenham.
- Spurs had agreed terms with Palace, but the transfer collapsed.
- Arteta wanted Eze to cover for Havertz’s injury problems.
- Palace coach Glasner confirmed Eze is still fully committed.
- The £60m release clause had expired, but Eze pushed for a move before the deadline.
- Eze scored 14 goals last season, including a winner against Man City.
Arsenal managed to get ahead of rivals Tottenham in the race to sign Eberechi Eze. The 27-year-old, who once played for Arsenal’s youth side, decided to return to north London with the Gunners even though Spurs were pressing hard for his signature.
Tottenham had already reached an understanding with Crystal Palace after more than a week of negotiations, but the move collapsed before it was finalised.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was keen to bring in fresh attacking options. With Kai Havertz struggling with a knee injury, Eze was seen as a perfect fit. His ability to score and create goals made him a valuable target for the Gunners.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner made it clear that Eze was still committed to the team. He even played in the Europa Conference League qualifier against Fredrikstad on Thursday, alongside Marc Guehi, who is also linked with a move to Liverpool.
Eze’s release clause of £60m plus £8m add-ons had already expired. Even so, reports claimed that the player was pushing for a transfer before the September 1 window closed.
Last season, Eze scored 14 goals, including the famous winning strike against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. He had joined Palace in 2020 from QPR for £19.5m and was contracted with the Eagles until 2027.
