
Arsenal have an agreement on principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eberechi Eze.
The deal is worth in the region of the expired £68million (€78m, $91m) release clause, matching the level of fee Tottenham Hotspur were prepared to pay, and personal terms have been agreed.
The 27-year-old is expected to play for Palace against Fredrikstad in the Conference League play-off on Thursday before undergoing a medical with the north London club.
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The operation was executed by Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis.
Eze is set to become Arsenal’s seventh signing of what has been a busy first summer under Berta since his arrival from Atletico Madrid.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, defender Cristhian Mosquera, midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, winger Noni Madueke and striker Viktor Gyokeres have all moved to the Emirates Stadium.
The move for Eze, who was a boyhood Arsenal fan and played for the club’s academy, follows the injury for Kai Havertz, who is being assessed and could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Eze joined Palace from QPR in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth around £17m and has made 169 appearances for the south London club, scoring 40 times. He has been capped 12 times by England, scoring once.
Why Arsenal want Eze
Analysis from Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas
Arsenal are huge admirers of Eberechi Eze’s talent.
The club initially explored a move for Eze when contact negotiations with Ethan Nwaneri were at a delicate stage. Once Nwaneri agreed a new deal, Arsenal’s interest waned, and they focused on other areas of the squad.
Throughout, Arsenal have held concerns over price: they have been loath to meet a Palace valuation in the region of £60million.
Their pressing need for attacking reinforcements, particularly in the light of Kai Havertz’s injury, may change things. Arsenal are still awaiting the full prognosis for Havertz, but if he is to be absent for a considerable period, it will weaken their attack.
Eze is not a direct replacement for Havertz, but his signing would potentially free up the likes of Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard to fill in at centre-forward until the Germany international returns.
Aside from Eze’s obvious quality, there’s an emotional component for Arsenal fans: Eze is a boyhood Arsenal fan who was part of the club’s academy. Throw in the prospect of beating Spurs to his signing, and there’s plenty for Arsenal supporters to be invested in…
What he would bring to Arsenal
Analysis by senior data writer Mark Carey
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Mikel Arteta has needed to strengthen the left side of his attack this summer.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli’s output was in the good-not-great bucket last season, and it is clear that Arsenal needed players with the same attacking ferocity that comes from their right flank with Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
Along with Noni Madueke, Eze’s arrival provides that added strength from the left side of the pitch with a truly versatile profile — operating best as a No 10 but able to play on the left side of his team’s attack or drop into a left-sided midfield position if required. Whatever his role, he will look to find the space to impose maximum damage to the opposition with the sharpest efficiency.
In the modern game, those who can break a player-for-player press with a drop of the shoulder or a driving run forward have never been so valuable — opening up the opposition structure with a moment of individual quality as the dominoes begin to fall. Eze also has the ability to thread a pass forward when spaces open up in front of him, making him a double threat in the attacking third.
Acquiring an attacking midfielder of the 27-year-old’s creative profile will be a crucial addition in Arsenal’s attack, and could well be the difference between a good season and a title-winning one.
(Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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