EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham fear Arsenal have hijacked Eze deal

Steve Kay

Updated: 14 Sept 2024 16:39 BST
3 min read

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates scoring against Chelsea — © IMAGO

Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze seems to have hit a roadblock, with sources indicating to FootballTransfers that the player's head has been turned by a top-four Premier League club, believed to be Arsenal or Manchester City.

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Spurs have been chasing the attacking midfielder for over a year and even had a gentleman's agreement with Eze, based on meeting Crystal Palace's £68 million valuation.

In fact, Eze's family was invited by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to attend the last North London Derby at the end of last season, a match Spurs lost 3-2.

However, the deal took a sudden twist when Eze’s representatives informed Ange Postecoglou’s side that their rivals had made contact with the England international, urging him to put the move on hold and reassess his options before making a final decision.

Following this development, a conversation between Postecoglou and sporting director Johan Lange led Spurs to shift focus.

The funds earmarked for Eze were redirected to secure Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke in a £65 million deal, with £55m paid upfront and £10m in add-ons. The 26-year-old signed with Spurs until 2030 and made his debut against Leicester on the opening day of the Premier League season before suffering an ankle injury.

© IMAGO - Eberechi Eze in action for England against Ireland, Nations League 2024

Eze in for Sterling?

Arsenal, meanwhile, ultimately moved for Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling on loan as they sought an additional wide attacking player to join Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

Sterling, though, has only arrived at the Emirates side in the form of a one-year loan deal. There is no obligation for the Gunners to buy him permanently following the conclusion of this agreement, allowing them to keep their options open for next summer.

Eze, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of £42m (€49.6m), has the type of profile that Arteta likes. He has ample Premier League experience from his time at Crystal Palace and though a little older than a typical Arsenal signing, he will still only be 26 at the end of the season.