Meant to Be? Eberechi Eze Reveals Arsenal Legend Was His Favourite Player Growing Up as Crystal Palace Star Prepares to Complete £67.5m Gunners Transfer

Football is full of circles that eventually close, of stories that feel pre-written even when they take decades to unfold. For Eberechi Eze, Arsenal’s imminent new signing, his £67.5 million move to the Emirates is more than just a blockbuster transfer. It feels like a homecoming.

Eze once wore Arsenal red, as a boy in the club’s academy, only to be let go at the age of 13. He admits the rejection broke him, confessing he spent a week crying alone in his bedroom, convinced his dream was over before it had truly begun.

Yet here we are, fourteen years later, with Eze on the verge of pulling on the same shirt again — only this time as a fully-fledged Premier League star, one of England’s most exciting creative midfielders, and a player Arsenal believe can help carry them back to the summit of English football.

From Heartbreak to Hero: The Day Arsenal Let Eze Go

Eze’s release from Arsenal’s academy was one of those moments that could have ended a career before it even started. Youth football is brutal, and rejection at such a formative stage often leaves scars.

For Eze, it did more than that — it left him devastated. “I cried for a week,” he admitted in a recent interview. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I thought it was the end.”

But what defines Eze isn’t the rejection itself — it’s what came after. He bounced from club to club, including short spells at Reading, Fulham, and Millwall, before finally finding stability at QPR. There, his natural flair, dribbling, and vision turned heads. By 2020, Crystal Palace snapped him up for £17 million, and he has been climbing ever since.

That resilience — that ability to rebuild after heartbreak — is part of what makes his Arsenal story feel destined.

“Henry Was Number One”: The Legend Who Inspired Eze

The link to Arsenal is more than just history. It’s emotional. In January this year, speaking to Into Football, Eze revealed who his idol was growing up:

“Henry was number one. Henry and Ronaldinho. Those were the two on YouTube you were watching. These are the guys you grow up watching. They enjoy what they’re doing, they love what they’re doing, they have a passion for it, and that inspires. I feel like those have been the guys that I’ve looked up to for as long as I remember.”

You can picture it: a young Eze glued to a computer screen, replaying Thierry Henry’s slaloming runs, his famous knee-slide celebrations, his swagger in Arsenal’s invincible era. Those were the highlights that shaped him.

And now, years later, he’s about to join the very club where his idol became a legend.

Arsenal Statement of Intent

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For Arsenal, this is more than a sentimental reunion. Signing Eze is a statement of intent.

Last season, the Gunners pushed hard but fell short in their Premier League title chase. Their squad is packed with talent — Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice — but depth and creativity in midfield sometimes felt lacking. Eze, with his ability to glide past defenders, unlock compact defences, and score spectacular goals, feels like the missing ingredient.

At £67.5m, he doesn’t come cheap. But Arsenal know the price of competing with Manchester City isn’t just tactical discipline or youthful energy — it’s also about moments of genius. Eze provides that in abundance.

Timing Is Everything: Liverpool Awaits

The timing of this deal couldn’t be more intriguing. Arsenal are set to travel to defending champions Liverpool on August 31, one of the season’s early blockbusters.

Imagine the scene: Eze making his Arsenal debut at Anfield, under the floodlights, against Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy Reds. It’s the type of moment Arsenal fans live for, and the type of test that will immediately show whether Eze can handle the pressure of stepping up from Palace to the title-chasing elite.

If he shines, the £67.5m will look like money well spent. If he struggles, critics will be quick to question whether Arsenal have gambled too heavily.

The Player Arsenal Are Getting

So what exactly does Eze bring to the Emirates?

• Dribbling flair: He’s one of the Premier League’s best ball-carriers, gliding past opponents with deceptive ease.

• Creativity: Whether it’s a delicate through-ball or a chipped pass over a defence, Eze sees angles others miss.

• Composure: He doesn’t panic under pressure; in fact, he thrives in tight spaces.

• Goal threat: Eze isn’t just a provider. His curling efforts from range and calmness inside the box have made him Palace’s talisman.

For Mikel Arteta, Eze provides flexibility. He can play as a No.10, tuck in from the left, or operate deeper in midfield alongside Rice. That versatility could be vital in a season where Arsenal will fight on multiple fronts.

Palace’s Pain, Arsenal’s Gain

Of course, this deal comes at a cost for Crystal Palace. Losing their star man will be painful, especially after the club nurtured him through injury and gave him the platform to shine.

But Palace knew this day would come. Clubs of their size rarely hold onto stars forever. The fee softens the blow, and Eze leaves with goodwill. Palace fans will know they were part of his journey, part of the story that will now be told on the biggest stages.

Full Circle: From Rejection to Redemption

It’s hard not to see poetry in this transfer. Arsenal once told Eze he wasn’t good enough. He left heartbroken, convinced his dream was dead. Yet through resilience, hard work, and raw talent, he has forced his way back.

Football has a way of writing scripts like this. For Eze, the £67.5m move is not just a career step — it’s vindication. It’s proof that the boy who cried in his bedroom at 13 had something special all along.

Conclusion: Written in the Stars?

“Meant to be” is a phrase often overused in football. But with Eberechi Eze, it feels appropriate. From idolising Thierry Henry, to being released as a child, to becoming one of the Premier League’s most watchable players — and now preparing to complete his dream return to Arsenal — the circle is closing.

For Arsenal, this is a signing that blends heart and ambition. For Eze, it’s the chance to finally live the dream that almost slipped away. And for the fans, it’s a story worth savouring: a reminder that in football, sometimes fate really does play its part.

On August 31 at Anfield, the next chapter begins.