Arsenal have completed the transfer of 27-year-old Eberechi Eze for a deal worth £67.5 million. It was a short and sweet swoop in for Eze from the Gunners when he looked set for a move to their rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
At the latter stages of the deal with Spurs, Arsenal presented Eze with an offer that he would refuse to turn down. It has been fourteen years since Eze played in red, when he was released by the club at the age of thirteen, having spent five years with the club.
A missing piece in Arsenal’s attack
Arsenal have been crying out for someone who can break down stubborn defences. Stubborn defences, which played a huge part in Arsenal losing out on the Premier League title for the past 3 seasons. With captain Martin Odegaard and winger Gabriel Martinelli struggling for form, Eze will provide the right competition for the starting eleven that they need. He created 58 chances last season, alongside completing 72 dribbles and providing 26 goal involvements for Crystal Palace.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhy Eze chose Arsenal
Being an Arsenal fan throughout his life, Eze had always dreamed of stepping on the pitch of the Emirates Stadium as an Arsenal player. For Crystal Palace, he treated every game against Arsenal like it was a trial to impress the club.
“Every time I come to Arsenal, I look at the seat I used to sit on when I came to games, and every single time, I say this is my opportunity to show,” the Gunners’ new number 10 stated.
“My dream was to play for them,” Eze admitted in 2022, when discussing how he got released by the club. Now, his dream has become a reality.
Embed from Getty ImagesAdding depth to the squad
The Gunners have been in contention for the title in recent years but have fallen short, primarily due to injuries. Saliba’s injury in the 2022/23 season caused massive problems at the back for the club, as there was no clear backup, but rather a constant juggle between Rob Holding, Jakub Kiwior, and Ben White. Havertz suffered an injury in the 20245/25 season, seeing him sidelined for 3 months, which forced central midfielder Mikel Merino to fill in the striker spot for the remainder of the season.
But now? Now, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has assembled a squad where he can fall back on players when others get injured. With Eze being comfortable playing on the wing or as a 10, and signings such as Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, and Christhian Mosquera all this summer, there is now cover for all areas of the pitch.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe final verdict
Whilst this signing does not guarantee a title, it transforms Arsenal into a team that knows how to contend for a title, alongside competition in all areas of the field, due to a sharp increase in depth.
Eze was born an Arsenal fan, grew up through the academy and at the age of 27, has completed the full circle. He returns to the club that he had always dreamed of playing for, and this time, he returns with flair, experience, and a determination to bring titles to the club he loves most.