Arsenal’s move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is being hampered by four players still on the club’s books, with the Gunners reluctant to meet the £68million asking price. Manager Mikel Arteta has already spent £200m on six new signings this summer, including Viktor Gyokeres for up to £63m, and must now sell players to fund further additions before the September 1 deadline.
The four players identified as obstacles are Leandro Trossard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fábio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson. Trossard, 30, has one year left on his contract and faces reduced playing time after the arrival of Noni Madueke. Arsenal need to sell him soon to secure a fee that recoups the £27m they paid Brighton in 2022.
Zinchenko has fallen behind Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jurrien Timber in the left-back pecking order. The Ukrainian has expressed frustration over a perceived lack of trust from Arteta. With only a year remaining on his deal, AC Milan are interested, but Arsenal must negotiate a transfer rather than let him run down his contract.
Fábio Vieira spent last season on loan at Porto, and the signings of Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi mean he is likely to be loaned out again if not sold. At 25, he still holds value, and Arsenal need to cash in. Reiss Nelson, who was on loan at Fulham last term, appears unlikely to feature significantly beyond domestic cup games. A permanent move before the deadline would boost funds for Eze.
The Gunners risk being hijacked by Tottenham Hotspur, who are also interested in the Palace playmaker. Arteta must offload these squad members to balance the books and strengthen his attack before the window closes.
