Arsenal beat Spurs in £60m race for Eberechi Eze

Arsenal Move Ahead of Spurs in £60m Eze Transfer Race

Arsenal are set to beat north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the signing of Eberechi Eze after agreeing a £60m deal in principle with Crystal Palace.

Arsenal Closing in on Eze

Eze, 27, is understood to favour a move to the Emirates, where he began his youth career, despite Spurs having held advanced talks over the forward.

The deal is seen as a response to concerns over Kai Havertz’s knee injury, with Mikel Arteta keen to add attacking depth before the transfer window shuts on 1 September.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner confirmed Eze would feature in Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off tie against Fredrikstad, but sources suggest the England international hopes to seal his Arsenal move before then.

Spurs Left Frustrated

Tottenham believed they were close to securing Eze after 10 days of negotiations with Palace, but his boyhood ties to Arsenal proved decisive once the Gunners entered the race.

New Spurs manager Thomas Frank had identified Eze as the ideal replacement for the injured James Maddison, but insiders at the club insist there was nothing more they could do once Arsenal made their move.

Palace’s Key Man

Eze was instrumental for Crystal Palace last season, scoring 14 goals across all competitions, including the winner in the FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Signed from QPR for £19.5m in 2020, Eze’s current deal runs until 2027. His release clause—worth £60m plus £8m in add-ons—has now expired, but Palace still value him at that price.

One of the Window’s Defining Deals

If completed, Eze’s arrival would mark one of the standout signings of the summer window, strengthening Arsenal’s forward line alongside Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke and academy star Ethan Nwaneri.

For Spurs, losing out to their fiercest rivals will be seen as a major blow, especially after being in pole position for much of the summer.