It was towards the end of June when Tottenham began considering a move for Eberechi Eze, intending to make him the centrepiece of their new project under Thomas Frank. Days later, Arsenal confirmed their interest, with sporting director Andrea Berta making enquiries. The north London rivals were locked in a struggle for the Crystal Palace forward.
Spurs feared entering a bidding war with Arsenal, knowing that Eze had supported the Gunners as a child and had been released from their academy at 13. The emotional pull, combined with Arsenal's stronger Premier League finish last season, made Spurs wary. Mikel Arteta's public praise for Eze further turned the player's head.
Tottenham pivoted to Morgan Gibbs-White in July, but Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis refused to sell. The injury to James Maddison, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Newcastle on 3 August, compounded their need for a creative midfielder. Dejan Kulusevski also underwent knee surgery in May and is sidelined until the new year. Despite these pressures, Spurs hesitated to meet Eze's £68m release clause, which expired on 15 August, deeming it too high for a 27-year-old with only 12 England caps and no European club experience.
Ultimately, Arsenal triggered the clause after Kai Havertz felt a knee injury in the win over Manchester United. The deal went ahead without Arsenal needing to offload players, raising questions about their financial headroom. Eze is represented by CAA Base, the same agency with strong ties to Spurs, but the player's wishes prevailed.
