After a horrendous Premier League campaign to date, Manchester United are reportedly set to battle Aston Villa for the signature of a Premier League star.
Crystal Palace’s attacking midfielder, Eberechi Eze, is believed to be the talent required in order for United to push further up the league next season. Given the 26 year old’s performances, he is likely to have widespread interest during the summer transfer window from numerous clubs.
Who is Eberechi Eze?
Eze toured London and the South during his youth career with spells at Arsenal, Fulham, Reading and Millwall. The attacker was not offered a professional contract with the Lions and following his release from the Den, he joined Queens Park Rangers in 2016.
The 26 year old made his debut for QPR in 2017 before a loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers during the 2017-18 season. Upon returning from Adams Park, Eze became a regular for the club and made 111 appearances in the next three seasons.
His 22 goal contributions during the 2019-20 season caught the attention of Premier League Crystal Palace whom he joined in the summer of 2020. Since moving to Selhurst Park the attacker has 50 goal contributions in his 160 appearances so far.
Eze represented England in the Under 20’s and Under 21’s before making his senior debut in 2023. He represented the Three Lions at EURO 2024 and scored his first international goal against Latvia in March.
His impressive performances have led to interest from a number of top sides. Manchester United are reportedly hopeful of winning Eze’s signature but may face competition from Premier League rivals Aston Villa in the summer.
What could Eberechi Eze bring to Manchester United?
Manchester United have been incredibly underwhelming so far this season and signing Eze could transform their attacking ability. The 26 year old has the versatility to play across an attacking three having played in both attacking midfield and on the left wing.
So far this season, Eze has 11 goal contributions within the Premier League with eight of these assists. The Palace attacker has scored fewer goals than in his previous two seasons but with an expected goals (xG) figure of 7.9, he is still finding himself in positions where he can score goals.
Having an average of 3.77 shots per 90 minutes over the last year shows the consistent threat that Eze can provide and how much opposition goalkeepers are tested by him. The Palace attacker’s greatest attributes will be his creativity.
Within the last year, Eze produced an average of 4.74 shot-creating actions (including passes, take-ons and drawing fouls) per 90 minutes. This shows what the 26 year old could bring to Manchester United next season.
Breaking this down further, the Palace attacker has an excellent ability in 1v1 situations against opposition defenders. Eze has completed 88% of his take-ons at an average of 2.54 per match and 2.71 progressive carries per 90 minutes on average.
Eze is capable of getting himself into good attacking positions as well as creating them. On average over the past year, he has an average of 3.54 touches in the opposition penalty area and received 5.94 progressive passes per 90 minutes.
This creative ability of Eze is also highlighted by his manager at Crystal Palace, Oliver Glasner:
“He always creates chances, he always has chances to score himself”.
“He can solve situations dribbling, he creates space for other players. He’s so very important in our offence”.
On top of his attacking capabilities, the Manchester United target carries out his defensive duties for his team as well. Eze has completed 1.5 tackles with a 70% success rate and made 1.07 blocks per 90 minutes with a 77% success rate.
These attributes coupled with his creative ability show the impact that the 26 year old could have at Old Trafford next season.
How likely is Eberechi Eze’s move to Manchester United?
With his impressive performances over the past five years at Selhurst Park, it is not much of a surprise to see Eze linked to a big summer move. The 26 year old’s contract with the Eagles is coming to an end soon which could force the club’s hand on whether they will sell their star man.
The question will most likely be where Eze is playing his football. Despite United’s poor season, the attacker would fit into Ruben Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 system either out on the left wing or as an attacking midfielder.
As mentioned previously, Manchester United are reportedly battling Aston Villa for Eze’s signature. The Villains have identified the 26 year old as a target should they be unable to complete a deal for United loanee Marcus Rashford.
With Eze turning 27 in the summer, he may view this summer as the chance to earn a big move in his career. A move to Manchester United would be a step up in terms of the size of the club but with the downward trajectory the club seems to be on, he may look at other clubs across England and Europe as his preferred destination.