Arsenal Beat Spurs to the Signing of Eberechi Eze in £60m Deal
SME News UK. Arsenal have completed the signing of England forward Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, edging out bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur to secure the 27-year-old’s signature in a deal worth a reported £60 million.The move sees Eze return to north London, where his football journey first began in Arsenal’s academy. Released by the club at the age of 13, Eze went on a remarkable journey through Fulham, Reading, Millwall, and Queens Park Rangers before breaking into the Premier League with Palace in 2020.Over four seasons at Selhurst Park, Eze made 169 appearances, scoring 40 goals and registering 28 assists, while also becoming a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad with 12 international caps.Arsenal’s StatementArsenal announced the signing with pride, writing on their official website:> “We are delighted to announce the signing of Eberechi Eze on a long-term contract. The 27-year-old England international returns to north London, where his football journey began in our academy before he rose to prominence as one of the Premier League’s most dynamic attacking talents.”Arteta on EzeManager Mikel Arteta was equally enthusiastic about his latest recruit:> “We are absolutely delighted to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game.What stands out just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player is the way he has worked hard throughout his career to get where he is today. His journey, his mentality, and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team. We love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club. We look forward to working with him soon.”How the Deal UnfoldedTottenham were long considered favourites to land Eze, with manager Thomas Frank keen to bolster his attack after the player’s £68m release clause expired earlier this summer. The forward even appeared to wave goodbye to Palace fans after their opening-day draw at Chelsea.However, Arsenal moved quickly to hijack the deal after Kai Havertz suffered a suspected knee injury, leaving Arteta short of options in the final third.Career Come Full CircleEze, a boyhood Arsenal fan, described the move as a “dream return” in his first words as a Gunner. His story is one of resilience, having been released by several clubs before breaking through at QPR, where he tallied 20 goals and 12 assists in 112 games.Arsenal, who opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, will hope Eze can provide creativity and goals as they prepare for their home clash with Leeds United next weekend.
