Arsenal have pulled off a stunning transfer coup by signing England forward Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in a deal worth £60m, including £8m in add-ons.
The 27-year-old, who grew up an Arsenal fan and began his youth career with the Gunners, becomes Mikel Arteta’s seventh summer signing. He was unveiled to loud cheers at the Emirates before the Leeds match, proudly wearing the club’s No.10 shirt.
Eze had been on the verge of joining Tottenham after agreeing terms with both Spurs and Palace. But Arsenal swooped in midweek, taking advantage of Kai Havertz’s injury and Spurs’ delay in finalising the deal. His lifelong connection to the Gunners sealed the switch.
Arteta praised him by saying “His journey, his mentality and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to be joining our club.“, while sporting director Andrea Berta described him as “a creative and explosive talent.”
Eze leaves Palace after 169 appearances and 40 goals, including 14 strikes and 11 assists last season, capped off with the winning goal in the FA Cup final.
His arrival pushes Arsenal’s summer spending past £200m as they mount another push for silverware ; while Spurs are left reeling from yet another hijacked deal.
