Arsenal have been boosted in their bid to reduce the transfer fee required to sign Eberechi Eze as Crystal Palace are said to be ‘keen on signing’ a Gunners star.
Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta are working to bolster the Arsenal squad in what they promised would be a “big” transfer window this summer.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is the only officially confirmed signing this summer after Arsenal triggered his £5m release clause to land him from Chelsea, but Martin Zubimendi is expected to be announced on Thursday while Christian Norgaard’s transfer from Brentford is set to be completed next week.
And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed on Wednesday that Arsenal are also interest in Eze, with the England international open to joining the Gunners.
Romano wrote on X: ‘After direct contact revealed on Monday, Eberechi Eze has opened doors to Arsenal move in clear way. He’s open to joining Arsenal project and attracted by this chance for his future. Arsenal are informed on release clause details and more.’
A report later on Wednesday claimed Arsenal have been ‘positioning itself for several weeks and has made further moves in recent hours to recruit the player’.
The report added: ‘Contacts with Eze and his representatives to convince them to join the north of the English capital are already well advanced. All that remains is for the Arsenal board to decide whether or not to activate the Englishman’s release clause.’
Eze has a £60m release clause in his contract, payable in three instalments, which could rise to £68m with add-ons.
But Berta has already shown himself to be something of a miser as Arsenal continue to drag their heels over a move for a striker as the sporting director looks to drive a hard bargain over potential deals for Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres or RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.
Arsenal ‘are aware of this and retain a strong interest’ but ‘would like to pay less’ for Eze, and ‘as a result, Palace are keen to discover if they could land an Arsenal player on the back of negotiation’, though it’s claimed any move in the other direction would be a ‘separate deal’.
The report adds: ‘While any deal wouldn’t be a swap deal and would be a separate negotiation, Palace are hopeful that if they play ball regarding Eze’s transfer that they could bring in someone in the opposite direction on favourable terms also.
‘Arsenal are already aware that Eze wants to join the club and therefore are in a strong position to secure his signing anyway, and they know the easiest way to do that is to trigger the release clause.
‘Palace are aware that Arsenal have been busy in the transfer market so far this summer to bolster their squad, and that could leave them with players who are no longer part of their plans for the upcoming season.’
Arsenal insider Team news and ticks claimed on the latest episode of The Inside Foreword podcast that the deal for Eze “could be wrapped up in the next hour if they wanted to”, by meeting his release clause, as the midfielder is “desperate” to join the Gunners.
