Arsenal have added Eberechi Eze to their list of left wing targets, talkSPORT understands.
Eze, also being considered by the Gunners’ north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, has a release clause of around £68m in his Palace contract.
The Crystal Palace ace would be a cheaper option than Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who is also on Arsenal’s radar.
Eze became a target for Tottenham after they briefly looked at a deal for Brentford ace Bryan Mbeumo, who now appears destined for Manchester United.
The England international has been a sensation at Selhurst Park since he joined from Queens Park Rangers in 2020.
Eze has registered an impressive 40 goals and 28 assists from 167 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles, cementing his status as one of the brightest talents outside the ‘Big Six’.
Eze’s biggest goal came in last season’s FA Cup final as Palace won their first ever major trophy with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
In the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Eze finished with eight goals and eight assists as Palace ended the season 12th.
Eze’s impressive displays at club level did not go unnoticed, as he was handed his first senior England call-up in May 2021.
The 26-year-old went on to feature three times for the Three Lions at Euro 2024 as they made it all the way to the final but were beaten 2-1 by Spain.
A deal for Eze will not be cheap given the attacking dynamo’s contract runs until 2027, meaning teams will be expected to pay his entire release clause.
News of Arsenal and Tottenham’s interest comes almost a year after Palace chairman Steve Parish was left ‘astounded’ by how few clubs were after Eze in the 2024 summer window.
“I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael [Olise] and Ebbs in the same window and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have,” Parish told Sky Sports.
“I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.”
Although there may have been a surprising lack of interest for Eze last summer, former Premier League manager Alan Pardew did not believe that would be the case this time around.
In fact, Pardew likened Eze’s ability to that of Dutch icon Johan Cruyff.
“He has this great ability to just glide past people,” Pardew said on talkSPORT Breakfast in April.
“It’s almost silky, like Johan Cruyff used to move – just shift it and just leave people for dead.
“He’s not particularly rapid in terms of taking people on for a pace. He’s just clever. And he manoeuvres the ball to create a shot or create a pass. And he’s as good as anybody at doing that.
“I’m sure Palace won’t thank me for saying, but I think he could play for one of the big clubs for sure.”
