The Gunners are reported to have finalized an agreement for Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, according to sources emerging after the Eagles’ recent victory in the Community Shield.
Despite Eze’s penalty being stopped during the shootout, Oliver Glasner’s squad showed resilience, leveling the score twice to force the Shield match into penalties after a 2-2 draw at the end of regular time – ultimately seeing Arsenal target Eze and his Crystal Palace colleagues celebrate another triumph under the Wembley sun.
Even with the intense speculation surrounding the Greenwich-born midfielder’s future, Glasner insisted that Eze would be in the starting lineup against Liverpool, assuring his commitment to Selhurst Park, at least for the time being.
Arsenal have agreed to club-to-club financial terms over Eberechi Eze deal
Arsenal’s showing in a recent preseason exhibition match against Athletic Club served as a compelling preview of how Eze would potentially fit into manager Mikel Arteta’s tactical arrangements.
The Basque manager experimented with a more pronounced double-pivot configuration in the team’s central area. New addition Martin Zubimendi played alongside Declan Rice rather than purely in a holding role. Martin Odegaard was given freedom to roam from his central midfield position, suggesting that Eze might be assigned this role or used on the left flank to bolster the attack.
As reported by Football Transfers, via TEAMtalk, “financial details are reportedly settled”, regarding the transfer of the English national, with £30 million to be paid upfront out of a total fee of £55m.
Recognized by FourFourTwo’s as one of the best attacking midfielders worldwide, Eze is also said to be keen on making the move across the capital, with Football Transfers stating that he is already “in contact” and that the deal is being held up by Palace’s search for a replacement.
While FourFourTwo cannot confirm the accuracy of this information, it doesn’t align with our understanding of the situation.
Agreeing to personal terms with Eze is not an obstacle for Arsenal; however, it seems doubtful that the Gunners’ sporting director, Andrea Berta, would commit to paying £30m upfront for a transfer in a single transaction without a significant sale driving the deal.
Earlier in the window, Arsenal chose not to activate Martin Zubimendi’s release clause, preferring to pay a higher fee and structure the move in a way that was more financially advantageous for them.
The North London side could, in theory, afford to pay a £30m fee upfront, but such an investment would depend on a significant sale from N5 that would count as ‘pure profit.’ This extra income would then be added to this year’s financial records, helping to comply with Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).
Reiss Nelson is one player who might leave the club – although his departure is unlikely to generate more than £20m – while Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Jakub Kiwior have all been mentioned as possible departures. It’s worth noting that none of these players are homegrown.
Eze is valued at €55m, according to Transfermarkt.
