Arsenal are making significant progress in their pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, but must act swiftly with the player’s £68 million release clause set to expire on August 15.
Eze, who is of Nigerian heritage despite representing England at international level, has emerged as one of the most coveted attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
Arsenal, where Eze once spent time as a youth player before being released at 13, are now determined to bring him back to North London as part of Mikel Arteta’s plans for the upcoming season.
The Gunners see Eze as a potential new No.10, and his versatility—being able to play both centrally and out wide—is viewed as a major asset.
According to reports from the Evening Standard, should Arsenal fail to trigger the release clause in time, Palace could demand a figure exceeding £80 million to part ways with their star attacker.
Arteta has already spent heavily this summer—close to £200 million—on the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Christian Mosquera, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres.
However, the Spanish manager remains keen to add Eze to a squad aiming to dethrone Manchester City and hold off rivals Liverpool and Chelsea in the title race.
To fund the move, Arsenal are open to offers for Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Jakub Kiwior, who could all be moved on before the window closes.
For Crystal Palace, who have been the most inactive club in this summer’s market, selling Eze would provide the financial flexibility needed to reinvest and bolster the squad that surprisingly lifted the FA Cup last season.
