Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze, with a £60m offer being prepared for the England international. The move would see Eze return to the club that released him as a 13-year-old, more than 14 years after his departure.
Palace chairman Steve Parish received a call from Arsenal's executive vice-chair Tim Lewis on Wednesday, indicating the Gunners were finally ready to act. Arsenal are keen to bolster their attack following a knee injury to Kai Havertz, and are aware that Palace require immediate funds to find a replacement. A fee matching Eze's expired £67.5m release clause had been reluctantly agreed with Tottenham, but Arsenal's offer is structured to satisfy both sides.
Eze, 26, was released by Arsenal at 13 and endured further rejections from Fulham, Reading and Millwall before Queens Park Rangers gave him a chance in 2016. He joined Palace for £19.5m in August 2020, with a 15% sell-on clause ensuring QPR receive around £6m from any transfer.
Since recovering from an Achilles injury that cost him most of the 2021-22 season, Eze has scored 29 Premier League goals and became a Palace legend by scoring the winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. He has spoken openly about his emotional attachment to Arsenal, saying his release brought 'tears rolling down my face'.
Eze, who grew up in Greenwich near Arsenal's original Woolwich home, will follow in the footsteps of fellow south Londoners Ian Wright, Kenny Sansom and David Rocastle who crossed the river to play for the Gunners. Palace fans, accustomed to losing heroes like Wright, Andy Johnson and Michael Olise, are unlikely to begrudge him the opportunity.
