- 6 hours ago
Arsenal set to battle Tottenham to sign €70m England star
Arsenal could be set to battle bitter rivals Tottenham in an effort to sign Eberechi Eze this summer, with the Crystal Palace star said to be ‘liked by loads of people’ at the Emirates Stadium.
As FootballTransfers reported earlier this month, Tottenham have identified Eze as a transfer target and could look to open talks with Palace over a move for the England international in the coming weeks.
Eze’s future is not expected to be resolved until after his involvement at the European Championships and he could have an intriguing choice on his hands after reports that Arsenal are eyeing the 25-year-old this summer.
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That is according to historically reliable Gunners insider ‘Teamnewsandtix’, who posted about Arsenal’s interest in Eze on his Patreon, with the Premier League runners up looking to strengthen their attacking options this summer.
It is also claimed that Eze has a release clause of £60 million (€71m) in his contract at Palace, with a large amount of the payment due up front, however FootballTransfers understands the fee to be a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ rather than an official buyout.
Consequently, Palace would not be obliged to accept offers for Eze even if they exceed €70m, with the player having three years remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park.
Will Palace cash in on Eze after Olise sale?
The situation around Eze could be complicated following the impending departure of Michael Olise, who is set to complete a €60m transfer to Bayern Munich in the coming days.
Olise’s exit means that Palace are under no pressure to sell another star player this summer as the club look to take their bright start under manager Oliver Glasner into next season.
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Eze is expecting Palace to honour their agreement to sell him if a bid of €70m is received, although it remains to be seen whether such an amount will be offered by Arsenal, Tottenham or any other interested side.
Manchester United and Manchester City have also considered moves for Eze in the past, although he is not thought to be a target for them this summer.