Arsenal might be on the verge of handing Eberechi Eze a second shot at realising his childhood fantasy. The Gunners are eyeing up the Crystal Palace sensation, who had a phenomenal campaign last season.
Eze, 26, stole the spotlight by scoring the decisive goal for Palace in the FA Cup final this year and has become a staple in England’s national squads. Now, the playmaker may be poised for a Champions League stint.
As reported by The Mirror on Friday, discussions have taken place between Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta and Eze’s reps, with the Gunners weighing up whether to trigger his £68million release clause.
This would pit them against their north London adversaries, Tottenham, as new Spurs gaffer Thomas Frank is known to be a huge admirer of the 26 year old.
However, Berta may hold an ace up his sleeve courtesy of Eze’s past. The England international had a stint in Arsenal’s youth ranks, only to be let go at 13 – a devastating setback to his aspirations of turning pro.
“I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it’s going to be okay but not being able to get over it,” Eze shared with the Independent back in 2020. “Then I went to Fulham and I was finally starting to enjoy my football again.”, reports the Mirror.
“We played Arsenal a few months later but, when I went over to shake the academy manager’s hand, I started welling up. All the feelings came back.”
Eze’s eventual rise through the ranks at Queens Park Rangers stands as a shining example of his perseverance, coming after rejections from both Millwall and Sunderland.
Before QPR finally gave him a chance, the future Wembley hero was on the brink of hanging up his boots for a part-time role at Tesco.
Eze confessed to BBC Sport in May that his tough early days still drive him forward, saying: “I remember the deflation. But all I kept asking myself was: ‘When’s the next trial? When’s the next trial?'”.
Eze remains tied to Palace until 2027, and after clinching a Europa League spot by taking the FA Cup, the Eagles are keen to keep him on board for another season.
In a recent statement, Eze voiced his support for Palace: “I really hope that that’s not the case and I hope that Palace do get the reward for that (FA Cup win), because of what it took to actually achieve it,”.
“It would be a huge shame if that was the case, but I’m trusting that it will work out in the end. I’m sure it will work itself out and it should work itself out, because there are players who have worked to be in this position.
“There are fans who have been with the team throughout the whole season and experienced everything. It would be unfortunate, but I’m positive that it won’t be the case.”
