Arsenal Swoop In On Tottenham\'s Eberechi Eze Pursuit With $91M Deal
Arsenal have agreed to a $91 million deal for Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, hijacking Tottenham\'s pursuit of the England international after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury, according to ESPN sources.
Tottenham appeared set to finalize the transfer Wednesday morning after reaching agreements with both Palace and Eze personally. Arsenal entered negotiations later that day amid concerns over Havertz\'s potential lengthy absence.
The deal values Eze at $67.5 million guaranteed plus $8.5 million in add-ons. Sources confirmed Arsenal accelerated talks after Havertz missed Wednesday\'s open training session at Emirates Stadium.
Havertz Injury Changes Arsenal Strategy
Arsenal had previously stepped back from Eze negotiations for two key reasons. The club prioritized player exits after committing nearly $200 million in transfer spending this window, and initial interest was tied to teenager Ethan Nwaneri potentially leaving before he signed a new five-year contract.
Havertz\'s injury forced Arsenal to re-enter the transfer market quickly. Early medical assessments suggest the German forward faces an extended spell on the sidelines, prompting the club\'s renewed interest in Eze.
Palace Decision Creates Opening
Crystal Palace\'s reluctance to release Eze before Thursday\'s Conference League playoff against Fredrikstad provided Arsenal additional time to complete negotiations. Eze was originally scheduled to feature in what would likely have been his final Palace appearance but was ultimately withdrawn from the squad.
Tottenham Suffers Another Market Setback
The 27-year-old midfielder was prepared to join Tottenham but was a boyhood Arsenal supporter. Eze has two years remaining on his Crystal Palace contract and was previously open to joining Arsenal when they first expressed interest.
Tottenham will now pursue alternative targets after another transfer disappointment. The club previously missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who was close to joining before signing a new contract with Nottingham Forest.
Via James Olley/ESPN