Arsenal have tied up a move for Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace, according to reports following the Eagles’ Community Shield triumph.
Though Eze saw his spot-kick saved in the shootout, Oliver Glasner’s team twice pulled back a goal to send the Shield showpiece to penalties after the game ended 2-2 at 90 minutes – with Arsenal target Eze and his Crystal Palace team-mates winning another trophy in the Wembley sunshine.
Though speculation is rife on where the Greenwich-born playmaker will be next season, Glasner was adamant that Eze would start against Liverpool, committing the player’s present to Selhurst Park at the very least.
Arsenal’s performance in a preseason friendly this weekend against Athletic Club was a convincing blueprint for where Eze will slot into manager Mikel Arteta’s thinking.
The Basque boss played more of a double-pivot in the centre of his team, with new recruit Martin Zubimendi playing more as Declan Rice’s equal than holding the midfield for him – as Martin Odegaard was given license to drift from his midfield berth, suggesting that Eze could well be given this role or the left-wing position to supplement the attack.
According to a new report from Football Transfers via TEAMtalk, “financial terms have already been agreed” for the transfer of the England international, with £30 million of a £55m transfer fee to be paid up front.
Recognised in FourFourTwo’s list of the best attacking midfielders in the world, Eze is said to want to complete the cross-capital switch, too, with Football Transfers claiming that he is “in contact” and that the hold-up in the deal is down to Palace wanting to source a replacement.
Personal terms over an Eze move are not a problem for Arsenal – but it remains unlikely that the Gunners’ sporting director Andrea Berta will commit £30m up front to a transfer in one lump sum, without a significant sale driving such a deal.
Earlier this summer, Arsenal even neglected to trigger Martin Zubimendi’s release clause in favour of paying extra and structuring a move that benefited them more financially.
The North Londoners could theoretically pay a £30m fee up front, but such an outlay would be dependent on a big sale from N5 for ‘pure profit’, with the money getting added onto this year’s accounts and satisfying Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Reiss Nelson is a candidate to leave the club – though his exit won’t generate more than £20m – while Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Jakub Kiwior have all been linked with departures, and none of them are homegrown.
Eze is worth €55m, as per Transfermarkt.
