Crystal Palace are keen on signing an Arsenal player as part of discussions for Eberechi Eze, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
The Eagles are preparing for a first campaign in European football in 2025/26 after success in the FA Cup, as Eze scored the winning goal as they lifted the first major trophy in their history.
Now the England international looks set to depart this summer amid strong interest from The Emirates Stadium, and Palace are now keen to know just what they could get out of the deal.
Eze, who has been described as a “superstar”, has a £60m release clause in his contract that is payable in three instalments, and could rise to £68m with add-ons included.
Arsenal are aware of this and retain a strong interest, although they would ideally like to pay less than the clause to sign the 27-year-old playmaker. As a result, Palace are keen to discover if they could land an Arsenal player on the back of negotiations in a separate deal.
While any deal wouldn’t be a swap deal and would be a separate negotiation, Palace are hopeful that if they play ball regarding Eze’s transfer that they could bring in someone in the opposite direction on favourable terms also.
Arsenal are already aware that Eze wants to join the club and therefore are in a strong position to secure his signing anyway, and they know the easiest way to do that is to trigger the release clause.
Palace are aware that Arsenal have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer to bolster their squad, and that could leave them with players who are no longer part of their plans for the upcoming season.
The Gunners have already signed back-up goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga while deals are imminent for Brentford star Christian Norgaard and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. The north London club are also keen to sign a winger and striker alongside any deal for Eze.
As a result, the Eagles are keen to understand if there is anyone at the Emirates Stadium that could become useful to them for next season and will seek to use talks about the Eze deal to ascertain if there is a deal to be done for a player to head to Selhurst Park.
Palace signed striker Eddie Nketiah last summer in a deal worth £30m, while Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga also swapped north London for south London in recent seasons too, meaning relations between the club are clearly in a good place.
