Table of Contents
- Eberechi Eze is heading to Arsenal, that’s what transfer guru Fabrizio Romano and many other credible sources are reporting
- Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish received a call from Arsenal’s executive vice-chair Tim Lewis showing the Gunners’ intention of signing Eze
- Parish had initially agreed with Tottenham a fee of €63.5 million, with a further €5.8m in add-ons, for Eze
Eberechi Eze is heading to Arsenal, that’s what transfer guru Fabrizio Romano and many other credible sources are reporting.
If the move is completed, it will become one of the most dramatic transfers we’ve seen in recent years considering Eze was close to joining Tottenham Hotspur. Every indication pointed towards Spurs completing the move for the 27-year-old by Wednesday. However, one call changed everything.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish received a call from Arsenal’s executive vice-chair Tim Lewis showing the Gunners’ intention of signing Eze. According to Transfermarkt, Parish had initially agreed with Tottenham a fee of €63.5 million, with a further €5.8m in add-ons, for Eze. But as the two clubs still negotiated how the initial fee will be paid, Arsenal matched Palace’s offer, setting up a €60 million coup to acquire the signature of the England international.
Eberechi Eze. Photo/ Sky Sports.
Since Palace are in need of immediate funds to sign Ebereche Eze’s replacement, Parish accepted Arsenal’s offer. The player also preferred a move to the North London giants. And why so? Well, it turns out Eze is a childhood supporter of Arsenal. In fact, he played for the Gunners’ academy before being released in 2011 at the age of 13.
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The Story Of Eberechi Eze And Arsenal
Eze and Arsenal go way back to 2006 when the talented forward started his football journey. He rose through the ranks at Arsenal academy playing alongside boys his age. However, the club decided to release him in 2011 when he was eleven years old.
Eze has previously spoken about Arsenal’s rejection saying the scars took a long time to heal. He stated that he cried for one whole week trying to get over the pain.
Despite being left crying for several days, Eze’s love for Arsenal didn’t fade. In fact, he has spoken about them positively over the years. The Gunners were Eze’s favorites to win the English Premier League title during the 2018/19 season. They finished fifth.
Speaking to Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone during his time at Queens Park Rangers, the then 20-year-old attacking midfielder named Arsenal as his favorite club.
“Arsenal. I’ve just supported them from young. They’re my favourite team. The way they play. I played with them when I was younger as well. When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that’s sort of why I decided to sign for them. Just growing up playing for them, I’ve grown a love for them.” Eberechi Eze told Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone, as per The Mirror.
Eberechi Eze’s Career
Eze never gave up his football dreams after being turned down by Arsenal. He went and did trials at Fulham, Reading and Milwall. Unfortunately, all three clubs rejected him before he eventually settled at Championship club Queens Park Rangers while he was preparing to join college and also start working part-time at Tesco.
Eze had his breakthrough at QPR and received promotion to the senior team. He made his first-team debut on January 7, 2017, during a FA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers, coming on for Yeni Ngbakoto in the second half.
Eze at Queens Park Rangers. Photo/ Sporting Life.
In order for him to get regular playing time, Eze was loaned out to League Two club Wycombe Wandrers. He had a successful spell at Wycombe and became a regular starter upon his return tp QPR. His impressive performance attracted Crystal Palace, who signed him for £17 million in August 2020.
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The England international established himself as one of the top players at Palace and caught the attention of top clubs, especially after recently helping his club win the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield.
Eze’s highly publicized move to Arsenal will open new doors for him as he is expected to play a huge role in Mikel Arteta’s squad as they go for a major title this season.
