- 10 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham accelerate Eze deal with crucial advantage over Man City
Tottenham Hotspur are intensifying their pursuit of Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze, FootballTransfers can confirm.
According to sources, family members of the 25-year-old have been invited as special guests of the club to the North London Derby on Sunday against Arsenal – a match vital for Mikel Arteta’s side in their hunt for the Premier League title.
Eze is a player who is coveted by many top Premier League sides, with reports linking him to Manchester City and, more tentatively, Arsenal.
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Tottenham, too, are interest in the winger and are ready to step up their pursuit imminently.
Spurs hold a crucial advantage over Man City in this race.
FootballTransfers understands that the player, who was born in Greenwich, London, would prefer a move to Tottenham over a move to the Premier League champions because of family ties.
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Sources have revealed that Tottenham may need to pay a fee of around €64 million (£55m) for the Palace star.
Ange Postecoglou is expected to have a summer transfer budget between €230-290m (£200-£250m) to spend, so with the player expressing an openness to join Spurs, a transfer seems very possible.
Eze to haunt Arsenal?
Eze was rejected by Arsenal in 2011 after spending five years at the club, so Tottenham inviting his family to watch Spurs against the Gunners has symbolic value.
It may be a decision that Mikel Arteta’s side live to regret if the winger joins their London rivals in the summer.
Eze, who is a twice-capped England international, has made over 200 club appearances for QPR, Wycombe and Crystal Palace.
He has featured in more than 100 Premier League games, scoring 23 goals and laying on 14 assists in the process.
Palace have only won one of the 10 league matches in which Eze has failed to feature this season – that against Burnley.