Arsenal Stage Late Swoop for Eberechi Eze, Beating Spurs to Key Summer Target
In a dramatic North London power shift, Arsenal have swooped in to hijack Tottenham’s move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, according to reports from David Ornstein of The Athletic. The Gunners have reignited their interest in the playmaker following Kai Havertz’s recent injury setback, positioning themselves ahead of Spurs in the race to sign the England international.
Eze Agrees Terms with Spurs—But Arsenal Reignite Interest
Tottenham were on the brink of securing a deal for Eze after holding advanced talks with Crystal Palace. Reports indicated that Eze had verbally agreed to personal terms with Spurs before Palace’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea over the weekend. On Monday, club chairman Daniel Levy met directly with Palace chairman Steve Parish to finalize a deal reportedly worth £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed negotiations were actively progressing, with Eze reportedly expressing a strong desire to join Tottenham to play Champions League football following his recent title-winning campaign with Palace.
However, the situation quickly changed on Tuesday when Arsenal, facing a void in attacking midfield due to Havertz’s injury, reignited their pursuit of Eze.
Arsenal Jump Ahead in Race for the Palace Star
According to Ornstein, Arsenal never fully dropped their interest in Eze and are now in direct talks with Palace to bring him to the Emirates. Despite Spurs having a deal in place with both Palace and the player, Arsenal’s willingness to meet Palace’s demands and Eze’s reported preference to join Mikel Arteta’s side have tilted the scales.
Eze is said to be leaning toward a move to Arsenal, dealing a major blow to Tottenham’s summer transfer plans. While Spurs were hoping to close the deal early this week, Palace delayed finalization as they wanted the player available for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad.
Spurs May Be Forced to Look Elsewhere
With Arsenal accelerating their efforts and Eze showing interest in joining the red side of North London, Tottenham may have to turn to alternative targets. Despite their aggressive pursuit, Spurs now find themselves potentially missing out on a priority signing at the final hurdle.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also monitoring Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as a possible addition, alongside interest in Ollie Watkins and Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, as they continue to reshape their squad.
