Whilst Arsenal are predominantly looking to sign a striker and a left winger this summer, sporting director Andrea Berta has sprung a surprise.
In addition to the aforementioned positions, Berta is trying to identify an attacking player who is simply able to add a bit of star quality across several positions at Arsenal.
In the past, that was a role taken up by the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri at the Emirates, even if the latter isn’t remembered too fondly after his move to Manchester City.
But in order to give Mikel Arteta a bit of the maverick-like attacking qualities he’s craving, Arsenal are interested in Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
A former youth player in N5, Eberechi Eze has been a consistent difference-maker for Palace in south London, and Arsenal are now keen to utilise those qualities further north.
Arsenal have met with Eze to discuss a potential deal, and the England forward has made it clear that he would be willing to join Arteta’s project.
And journalist Dean Jones has now confirmed that part of the appeal for Eze joining Arsenal is actually down to Declan Rice.
Sharing his insight on X, Jones reported that Eze has admired Rice’s ‘rise and impact’ at Arsenal, an example that he believes he can follow.
With the greatest of respect to Palace, who won one more trophy than Arsenal last season, Eze looks primed to join a ‘big’ club at 27-years-old.
The £60m-rated attacking midfielder now has 12 caps for England, and there’s no doubt that the Emirates would provide a bigger platform for Eze to shine and earn a place at the upcoming World Cup.
And on Arsenal’s end of the deal, Eze can definitely help Arteta’s team get over the line in the kind of frustrating games they often drew last season.
Of course, if Arsenal end up signing Eze he will probably join Martin Zubimendi at the club.
Arsenal have agreed to sign Zubimendi and the Spaniard’s move to north London should be official very soon.
That being said, Eze and Zubimendi are both very methodical thinkers, demonstrated by their joint passion for chess.
Speaking about the interest recently Eze said: “I can’t play games and not try to win, I think that’s probably what helped me win the [chess] tournament. I’m a bit too aggressive, and it’s just chess.”
Discussing his own interest in chess, Zubimendi said: “One of the things it gives me is concentration, it’s a game that requires you to have everything under control and if you get distracted, you lose.”
And after discussions with both players, perhaps that is part of the reason why Arteta finds the duo so appealing — two obsessive thinkers who will give everything to win.
