Arsenal moved at the 11th hour for England international Eberechi Eze, who was in advanced negotiations to join North London and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
According to journalists David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal’s offer, which rises upwards of £68 million, had more favourable payment terms than their neighbour. The 27-year-old also preferred a move to the Gunners.
News came out yesterday that Arsenal were re-entering the market after forward Kai Havertz injured his knee.
The German’s return to action is unknown. But he is expected to be side-lined for a prolonged period of time. Leaving the Gunners no choice but to further splash on their attack.
Arsenal have already spent just shy of £200m this summer. Acquiring the likes of Victor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi. But the club show no intention of stopping with Eze’s medical set to take place Friday afternoon.
The 2025/2026 season is make-or-break for head coach Mikel Arteta. Who has previously guided his side to three second place finishes in a row.
However, with his last piece of silverware the Community Shield in 2023. The fans and club will hoping the Spaniard can go one better and bring a trophy more meaningful back to The Emirates.
Where will Eze line-up for Arsenal?
As a like-for-like replacement for Havertz, Eze does not exactly fit the bill.
For Crystal Palace the Englishman was typically deployed as a left-sided attacking midfielder. Free to cut inside from the left channel and link up with teammates Jean-Phillippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr. Or go for goal himself.
However, Arteta will likely look to transform Eze into a false-nine. With his technical ability just as good as if not better than the injured Havertz.
Eze can also be used as depth for club captain Martin Odegaard in the ten. Or on the left wing for Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli. Eze’s versatility was one of the key reasons the Spaniard was desperate for his signature.
And with the sheer quantity of games top European teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have to play. Eze won’t go hungry for minutes.
How did Eze fare last season?
The Englishman was the linchpin of the Palace attack, and propelled the club to their best ever league tally of 53 points.
Eze played in 34 games games, and proved he can chip with the goals if necessary, scoring eight and assisting eight.
Beyond the league Eze was key figure in helping the club secure their first piece of silverware. On their way to securing the trophy, they beat the likes of Millwall, Fulham, Aston Villa and finally Manchester City.
Is Eze a good signing for Arteta?
There is no doubt that Eze deserves a move to a top-six club. But with the firepower the Gunners already possess, could the £60m+ fee have been used elsewhere in Arsenal’s squad?
To be honest no.
Eze’s creativity and game-wrecking ability on the ball could pick up an extra 6-10 points for Arteta’s side. So if you consider they were 10 points adrift from league winners Liverpool last season, those margins for error become very narrow.
Per 90 last season, Eze averaged 4.6 shot-creating actions a game, Now paired with the most lethal striker in Europe, Gyökeres, their link-up alone screams goals.
He also produced 2.84 take-ons per 90. So if Arsenal are playing a low-block – which is more often than not – and need a little bit of star-dust to create space and get a shot away, Eze is your man.
Once he puts pen-to-paper there’s no doubt that Eze will get minutes straight away. He is simply too good to leave as an unused sub.
This transfer is a move which not only raises the floor of Arsenal’s attack from day one. But also prolongs the clubs window to compete with the very best.
Lets hope Eze can hit the ground running and prove he’s worth his £68m price-tag.