Just hours ago, reporters from camel.live reported that Arsenal had "pipped Tottenham to the post" to sign Crystal Palace player Eberechi Eze. According to experts, Arsenal actually reached a principle agreement with Crystal Palace as early as the morning of Sunday, August 10th.
Arsenal successfully kept the news under wraps, with multiple sources only willing to discuss it this Wednesday evening. Over these nine days, Arsenal appeared hesitant to finalize the deal. External reports suggested they wanted to complete player sales before making new signings, and they leaned more toward signing a left winger, while repeatedly downplaying their interest in Eze.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy may empathize, as the situation has earned him some unexpected sympathy within football circles. Tottenham faced numerous difficulties in negotiations for Eze. In fact, issues arose even earlier: talks nearly collapsed last Thursday, with ongoing hurdles over add-ons and upfront payments. Every time one problem was resolved, another emerged.
A description from recent days noted: "The deal was almost done, yet constantly on the verge of collapse." Now, particularly within Tottenham, there is a view that Crystal Palace was stalling, waiting for Arsenal to re-engage.
By Saturday, however, Eze himself believed the chances of joining Arsenal were slim. He even spoke with management, hoping to resolve the transfer quickly, as Levy and the Crystal Palace chairman were set to meet on Monday morning. Eze was excited about joining Tottenham, but it was not his true desire—his dream was to move to Arsenal.
On Wednesday morning, that dream suddenly seemed possible. Arsenal finally took action on the deal. This shift was linked to Kai Havertz's injury, though the German player is actually expected to be sidelined for not too long, potentially less than three months. Havertz’s situation accelerated everything; Arsenal wanted to ensure they did not miss the opportunity.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has a closer relationship with Arsenal's executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis than he does with Levy, even though they often disagree. They regularly discuss regulations and other matchday issues via WhatsApp, which proved useful on Wednesday—especially given the agreement reached on Sunday, August 10th.
Arsenal also has more players to offer Crystal Palace, which the latter needs. Considering Oliver Glasner’s side requires a center-back, a deal for Jakub Kiwior could be the next target.
Arsenal will still need to pay more than the initial agreement to secure victory over Tottenham in the race. The previous deal was £50 million plus £10 million in add-ons, while the current deal stands at £60 million plus £7.5 million in add-ons—almost exactly matching Eze’s release clause, which expires when the transfer window closes this Thursday. It is understood this offer is more favorable than Tottenham’s.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Eze will feature in the Europa Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad. However, it is clear that the club hero's performances, which helped guide Palace to European competition, will also give him a chance for an emotional farewell.
