Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle to purchase Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, reports David Ornstein. The fee will be in the vicinity of the now-expired £68M release clause (UPDATE: £60M + £7.5M in add-ons) and will match what Tottenham Hotspur were prepared to pay for the 27-year-old.
My goodness did that happen quickly or what? It probably helps that Spurs had already hammered out a deal for the attacker. All Arsenal needed to do was say “yeah, we’ll match” plus agree to allow Eze
to play for Palace in the Conference League on Thursday night before an Arsenal medical. It’s not that simple — I’d guess that Eze’s preference factors heavily into the 11th-hour swap.
I’d also suggest that this is an excellent example of the transfer work you don’t hear about coming to fruition. Clubs are constantly in contact with each other about players, negotiating, and working on deals, most of which never happen. But you build the relationships and lay the groundwork for deals you want and players you think might be attainable targets so that when the opportunity presents itself, as it has with Eze, you’re ready to strike.
Spurs’ intransigence over Eze playing for Palace Thursday opened a window of opportunity for Arsenal to make a move for a player they’ve long admired and the Gunners smashed through it. Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta were likely hastened into action by the uncertainty surrounding Kai Havertz’s injury, too.
There will be a temptation to speculate on the extent of Havertz’s injury and how long the German will miss in light of how quickly this move came about, but I’ll urge caution. The report this morning is that the club have to wait and see on the prognosis. It was not doom and gloom. Yet. That’s where I’ll stay until they report something different.
For now, let’s rejoice in GAZUMPING Spurs and bringing Eberechi Eze home to the Arsenal.
