Eberechi Eze, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder for Crystal Palace, has been one of the most sought after talents in this summer transfer window. Arsenal and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are eager to sign him. That most recent performance, Eze’s spectacular free-kick against Chelsea that was disallowed for offside, only serves to heat up the pot on his simmering future. It’s become a lot chippier with the continuing conversations, especially between Tottenham and Crystal Palace ramping up after Spurs’ James Maddison was injured.
Eze was in the starting XI against Chelsea on Sunday, playing almost the full 90 minutes. His commitment has not gone unnoticed by Crystal Palace’s manager, Oliver Glasner, who commented on the players’ dedication amidst transfer speculations.
“Many of you were surprised Marc (Guehi) and Ebs (Eze) started and played almost the whole game [at Chelsea],” – Oliver Glasner
Tottenham’s Interest and Recent Developments
In July 2021, Tottenham Hotspur began negotiations with Crystal Palace over Eze. This comes on the heels of Morgan Gibbs-White announcing his own contract extension with Nottingham Forest. Spurs thought they were done with Eze when they reached an agreement in principle, which featured a player swap deal with Richarlison going the other way. Today all that has changed in an astoundingly quick turn of events. With Maddison out for the season with ACL injury, Spurs need midfield reinforcements badly.
The club’s interest in Eze clearly shows their intent to strengthen their own squad in a shrewd move. Eze only has two years remaining on his current deal at Crystal Palace. The North London club is keen to get a deal done before the chance passes them by.
Furthermore, Tottenham sources have claimed that one of Eze’s hopes is to secure a move to their North London rivals, Arsenal, the club he supported as a boy. This makes things tricky for Spurs, who are desperate to get him on their side.
Arsenal’s Long-standing Interest
Arsenal have had an interest in Eberechi Eze going back to his time as a youth with the North London club. The Gunners will view him as an exciting addition to their squad. Similarly, they are now keen to increase their chances for success in both domestic and European competitions.
With Eze’s storied history with Arsenal, that would be the romantic side to this possible transfer. His affection for the club would surely weigh on his choice if both teams made offers.
Crystal Palace’s Glasner addressed this dynamic during a recent press conference, emphasizing the importance of Eze’s commitment to the team.
“But they are committed to the team, they have a contract here. They played a crucial part that we could be successful and they will play a crucial part as long as they are here.” – Oliver Glasner
Future Prospects
With further negotiations ongoing, both Arsenal and Tottenham are poised to strike, but both clubs are aware the others remain in the market. The serious interest from both clubs indicates that Eze has impressed with his recent breakout season and the potential he could bring to either of their squads.
Eze’s experience at Brentford under Thomas Frank and his adaptability on the field make him an attractive prospect for either club. In the meantime, Crystal Palace will try to hold onto their most important player and try to make sense of these talks.
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