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Eberechi Eze has been swooped away from joining Tottenham by north London rivals Arsenal, and it's not the first time the Gunners have hijacked one of the Lilywhites' transfers

Eberechi Eze is not the first player to snub Tottenham for Arsenal, as Takehiro Tomiyasu nearly signed for Spurs before a last-minute U-turn. The Japanese full-back was welcomed as part of a major overhaul of Mikel Arteta's Gunners squad in 2021, arriving the same summer as Ben White and Martin Odegaard.

And while Arsenal paid £19.8million for the former Bologna stalwart, Tomiyasu could have made his way to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the day instead of the Emirates. Recounting a whirlwind deadline day move with DAZN Japan, Tomiyasu said: "I thought I wasn’t able to join Arsenal.

"I thought I was going to Spurs. On deadline day, I rejected them. Arsenal asked me to join them and I did immediately."

The 26-year-old has turned out 84 times for the Gunners since making the move from Serie A, but has fallen out of favour to the likes of White and Jurrien Timber. However, that hasn't prevented his team-mates from showering him with praise over the years for his performances and work ethic.

White said of the star in 2021: "Obviously, you’ve all seen how he’s performed when he’s playing for Arsenal. He’s such a nice guy. He fitted straight in when he came. All the boys love him and he’s doing the business on the pitch as well. He’s doing really well."

History looks set to repeat itself, given that Arsenal have seemingly won the race to secure the signature of Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze. Spurs felt that they had an agreement in place with the Eagles for the versatile attacking midfielder after chasing his services all summer.

But it now appears as though their north London rivals have once more beaten them to the punch. The Gunners will pay a guaranteed £60m for Eze to seal the deal, as well as £7.5m in performance-related add-ons.

He will arrive at the club on Friday to complete a medical, despite being expected to feature in Palace's Europa League clash with Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening. Eze is keen to play despite his imminent transfer but Palace could still pull him from the match.

The move will not only come as a huge blow to Spurs, who are looking to revamp their squad ahead of deadline day under Thomas Frank, but also to Palace and Oliver Glasner.

The 27-year-old, who has been capped 11 times for England, has been a shining light at Selhurst Park since securing a £19.5m move from Queens Park Rangers in 2020. Not only has he scored 40 goals and provided 28 assists in 169 outings for his club, but he was also instrumental in Palace's 1-0 FA Cup win over Manchester City in May, scoring the game-winning goal.

He also featured in the Eagles' Community Shield victory over Liverpool earlier this month and has started the fresh Premier League campaign in good form, despite having an impressive free-kick goal against Chelsea controversially ruled out due to encroachment on Marc Guehi's part.

Eze isn't the only star who could part ways with the south London side this summer, with Guehi also linked with a move to Liverpool ahead of September 1. The 25-year-old is into the last year of his contract with Palace, and is seen as a good fit as Arne Slot looks to wrap up his own impressive transfer window in style.

It all depends on whether the Reds are willing to meet Guehi's £45m valuation at present, especially considering it is thought that the Premier League winners could still be in the running for a late move for Newcastle United's Alexander Isak.

There is precedent for Arsenal pipping north London rivals Tottenham to a transfer target's signature at the 11th hour as they look to pull off a £68million coup for Eberechi Eze

Arsenal’s brutal hijacking of Eberechi Eze’s Tottenham move is not the first time the Gunners have signed a player just as they were about to join their bitter rivals. Mikel Arteta's side are set to sign the 27-year-old from Crystal Palace after it emerged they had agreed terms with both club and player on Wednesday night.

The breakthrough came as a surprise, given that north London neighbours Spurs had been on the brink of signing Eze. But those close to the England midfielder knew that his heart was truly set on Arsenal.

Eze supported the Gunners as a boy and was released from their academy aged 13, which left him ‘bawling’. Arsenal will now look to complete his £68million transfer in the coming days, having initially held reservations over the deal due to the rise of academy starlet Ethan Nwaneri.

But Kai Havertz’s recent injury eventually swayed them into pursuing potentially their seventh signing of the summer.

Eze’s dramatic U-turn, swapping N17 for N5, is of course not a first. Many will recall Sol Campbell’s shock move as a free agent in 2001. But another Gunners legend, Emmanuel Petit, snubbed Spurs for Arsenal in a way more akin to Eze’s transfer saga.

Spurs famously paid the Frenchman’s taxi fare on his way to sign for Arsenal. And reflecting on the late change of heart back in 2018, Petit told Mirror Football: “Tottenham put the contract on the table for me, I needed a couple of days to think about it but they didn’t expect what happened after that."

The midfielder visited London in 1997 to speak to Spurs chairman Sir Alan Sugar about a potential move from Monaco. Arsenal found out about the meeting and quickly sent word to the midfielder to not sign anything until he had heard Arsene Wenger’s pitch about the new project he was building.

Petit, who had played under Wenger at Monaco, asked Sugar for time to mull things over back at his own hotel, with Spurs paying the taxi to drive him there. But the Frenchman diverted the cab to Wenger’s house, where he also met vice-chairman David Dein.

Keen to compete for titles instead of fighting to stave off relegation, the future World Cup winner signed a £2.5m deal with the Gunners. Petit later recalled on talkSPORT: “I had meetings on the same day with Tottenham and Arsenal and had a meeting with Tottenham in the morning, but when I came to England I didn’t know about the rivalry between the two clubs.

"When I left the Spurs stadium, they booked me a cab and the cab driver asked me for directions, so I gave him the Arsenal address and I didn’t realise that the cab was pre-paid by Spurs, so they knew where I was going!

"I’d told Spurs that I needed time to think about it but knew that I had to see Arsenal, as well as other clubs in Italy and Spain. I told everyone that I’d make my mind up and when I knew the answer I would give it, but after a couple of days I signed for Arsenal and it went into newspapers and all of a sudden the story came. I realised the pressure of the rivalry then.”

Petit added in 2018: "It’s part of the legend now. David Dein still loves that story – and [more than] 20 years later he’s still telling it!”

He did not look back on his decision, forming a formidable midfield axis with France team-mate Patrick Vieira, which resulted in the pony-tail haired star winning a league and cup double in his first season.

After the success of the 1997/98 campaign, Petit spent two less successful years in north London before joining Barcelona and later Chelsea.

Eze will hope his bold decision will reap similar benefits as he looks to add the missing creative spark to Arteta’s side, with the Gunners hoping to get over the line this term after three successive years of finishing second.

Eberechi Eze will almost certainly become an Arsenal player despite looking set to sign for Tottenham, though footage of him expressing his love for the Gunners proves his dream destination was never in doubt

Eberechi Eze looks set to sign for Arsenal after they swooped in to steal him from under rivals Tottenham's noses. And old footage of the Crystal Palace star declaring his love for the Gunners proves the move was destined.

Mikel Arteta's side launched a quick and successful move for Eze on Wednesday evening, agreeing a deal in principle worth around £68million. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had already negotiated a £60m package for the England international before Gunners executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis' relationship with Palace chief Steve Parish saw them leapfrog their rivals and seal a £60m plus £7.5m in add-ons deal.

The 27-year-old wishes to play one last time for the Eagles when they face Fredrikstad in a Conference League play-off on Thursday night. However, boss Oliver Glasner may be forced to exclude him to avoid risking injury. Nevertheless, Eze seems fated to become an Arsenal player, and if old footage of the forward is anything to go by, this move has been written in the stars for some time.

Back when Eze was a budding prospect for Queens Park Rangers, he was interviewed and asked about who his favourite team was. Given that the then-20-year-old had originally been part of the Gunners' Hale End academy before being released at 13, his answer was clear.

"Arsenal. I've just supported them from young," replied Eze to Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone, with four words further summing up his feelings. "They're my favourite team."

He added: "The way they play. I played with them when I was younger as well. When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that's sort of why I decided to sign for them. Just growing up playing for them, I've grown a love for them."

Eze was also asked if he would depart QPR should Arsenal come in for him, though he gave a diplomatic answer, retorting: "I don't know about all of that. I'm a QPR player now and I'm happy to be playing for QPR."

The Gunners were further Eze's pick for winning the Premier League that year, the 2018/19 season, as when asked who were his champions elect, he stated: "Arsenal. I believe, somehow." The north London side finished fifth.

Despite being left crying for a week after being let go by Arsenal when he was a 13-year-old academy starlet, Eze's love for the Gunners is evident. Personal terms weren't a problem when Arsenal reignited negotiations for the 27-year-old, whose signing would help ease the blow of losing Kai Havertz to injury.

Eze's football career began at Arsenal, though he was also part of Fulham, Reading and Millwall's academies before his move to QPR in 2016. It was there that he broke into the first team, earning a £17m move to Palace in 2020.

Since then, he has scored 39 goals in 167 games for the Eagles, 14 of which came last term. One of those strikes won the FA Cup for Palace when they bested Manchester City 1-0 in May. Before the final, Eze was asked about his jaw-dropping technical ability and gave a response that will excite Arsenal fans.

"It's easy to lose sight of, especially (with) the type of player I am, why I'm doing what I'm doing," Eze told BBC Sport before the FA Cup final, discussing his skill. "Why do I run with the ball? Why do I try things? Why am I creative? Why do I do things that maybe players wouldn't think to do?

"The reason is for the people who are watching. It's what you're doing to people in the stands and how you can get people off their feet; that's what football's about. It feels like football is starting to shift a bit, and there's maybe not as much of that, but as long as I play, that's all I want to do."

Eberechi Eze meltdown on live radio forces talkSPORT to go off-air after Jamie O'Hara F-bomb

Eberechi Eze's impending move to Arsenal has sent former Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie O'Hara into a spin after the Gunners swooped in ahead of their rivals to secure the signing of the England international

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara has launched an astonishing rant live on talkSPORT over Spurs losing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal. His tirade even resulted in the broadcaster sensationally shutting off the live stream after the 38-year-old dropped the F-bomb.

Like many Tottenham fans, O'Hara is in disbelief that Spurs, who seemed set to land the Crystal Palace winger, now look to have lost out to their bitter rivals. Arsenal waited until the 11th hour to gazump Spurs by meeting Palace's £68million release clause for the winger, with Eze also agreeing personal terms with the Gunners.

Taking to talkSPORT to voice his shock, O'Hara concluded his fiery sermon exclaiming that he was "F*****g..." - with the latter part of his sentence unknown as the plug was pulled on the broadcast for a few brief seconds.

The drama unfolded as co-host – and former Chelsea player – Jason Cundy claimed Spurs have ideas above their station and think they're a bigger club than they are. Cundy goaded O'Hara with a baby doll, complete with crying sound effects, as the former Wolves midfielder then let rip.

"I'm disappointed in Tottenham, I'm disappointed. we should have had this deal done weeks ago, we should have had it over the line and got it done," O'Hara said.

"As soon as we started the season, we should have had Eze in the team, and do you know what, it serves us right. It serves Daniel Levy right, it serves Spurs right, it's the same old Tottenham, it happens every single season, we're penny-pinchers!

"It happened again, and we're going to miss out on a top-quality player who's proven in the Premier League. Just pay the money and get the player over the line! We got rid of [Heung-min] Son, [James] Maddison has done his ACL, we needed Eze, we needed him.

"It's an absolute joke that we're going to lose him to Arsenal of all teams, who are going to waltz in and pay and get it over the line in a couple of hours, it's a joke."

Cundy then went on to ask O'Hara whether he'd rather join Tottenham or Arsenal if he were the Crystal Palace star. O'Hara added: "I get it, Arsenal are a better team than us, they're in a better position, I wouldn't say they're bigger.

"They're doing well and that's why Tottenham needed to get the deal done, so you can't get hijacked. This is what happens, the bigger clubs come in and get the players, you don't get the deal done, this is what's going to happen."

O'Hara then pointed his anger directly at Levy once again, claiming he has failed to capitalise in the transfer window in the face of Son joining Los Angeles FC and after Maddison's serious injury. He added: "Levy is a penny-pincher. Maddison did his ACL a month ago, he could have got the deal done.

"Maddison is out for the season, he's done, Son's gone, he knew Son was going, he knew that a month ago. He knew those players were done and he still hasn't got it over the line, he still hasn't got it over the line knowing this was coming."

Then prompting the short shut-down, O'Hara said: "How have you not got this done? Honestly, it's a joke and I'm f*****g..."

Luckily, the broadcaster managed to catch O'Hara's slip on the YouTube live-stream as well as across the airwaves. The live-stream was also adjusted so viewers could only see a holding card announcing that the duo would be back soon.

As coverage eventually returned, O'Hara had his head in his hands while Cundy said: "Oh my word. He had to dump himself, he swore, he dropped an F-bomb." An embarrassed-looking O'Hara then calmed himself, before adding: "I don't think I've ever done that before."

Eze is now set to undergo a medical at Arsenal after playing one final time for Palace in their Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening at Selhurst Park. However, Palace could still omit him from the tie to avoid risk of injury before the medical.

Eberechi Eze is on the way to Arsenal after a stunning hijack from the Gunners and attention is now already turning to when he could pull on his new shirt for the first time

Eberechi Eze could make his Arsenal debut this weekend - but only if the Gunners meet a strict deadline. The Crystal Palace winger is set to put pen to paper on a stunning move to the Emirates Stadium over the coming days.

His move to Arsenal comes after the North London side moved ahead of their bitter rivals Tottenham, who had looked set to sign Eze. But the England man preferred a move to Arsenal, while the Gunners’ bid of £60m and £7.5m in add-ons gazumped the £50m plus £10m in add-ons agreement that Spurs and Palace had previously shaken hands on.

Eze has also agreed personal terms with Arsenal ahead of his switch. Attention will now turn to getting the formalities of the deal completed.

Eze will undergo a medical with his potential new employers on Friday after he has appeared for Palace in their Europa League playoff clash with Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park. As it stands, he is still set to play in that game - albeit that stance could well change.

Should Eze’s medical go as expected then Arsenal will be keen for him to take to the pitch for the first time. His debut could potentially come this Saturday evening as Mikel Arteta’s side welcome newly-promoted Leeds to the Emirates.

That can only happen should Eze be registered by the 12pm cut-off point on Friday, which could potentially be too soon. Should Arsenal fail to meet that deadline, Eze’s next chance of a debut would come next weekend as the North London side take on reigning Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield on August 31.

Meanwhile, Spurs remain on the lookout for an alternative to Eze having seen Arsenal steal a march on the Palace star. They were all set to seal a deal for the Eagles man but have been powerless to prevent the Gunners’ approach.

They have also been linked with Manchester City wideman Savinho this summer. Eze’s move represents another big frustration for Daniel Levy and Thomas Frank following Morgan Gibbs-White’s u-turn.

What have you made to Arsenal's summer business? Share your thoughts in the comments below

Palace are also active in the market as they attempt to find a replacement for their star man. Leicester’s Bilal El Khannouss has been strongly linked but the Moroccan midfielder is expected to cost in excess of £30m.

Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis is also an option following a 20-goal season for the Belgian side but a deal for the Greek is complicated given he only signed a new deal in the summer. The summer transfer window remains open for just another week-and-a-half.

The Premier League returns this weekend with all 20 teams getting a feel for what they might need to do in the transfer window after the first round of fixtures

The opening weekend of Premier League matches has given plenty of teams a wake-up call when it comes to summer transfers. And now, as all 20 sides prepare to return to action, work is being done to get those last few deals over the line.

Eberechi Eze has been a man in demand all summer, and the expiry of his release clause hasn't changed that one bit. Tottenham had looked to be in pole position to sign the England international but Arsenal have now stolen a march.

Reigning champions Liverpool have been among the busiest in the league, but they might not be done. Alexander Isak's statement on Tuesday night could accelerate a move to Anfield for the Newcastle star, while a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi remains possible.

Unlike Liverpool and Arsenal, Manchester United made a losing start to the campaign. A new central midfielder could be on the cards, even if Carlos Baleba is out of their price range, while they could also rival Manchester City for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Stay with Mirror Football for all your transfer needs as we move that bit closer to deadline day.

Leverkusen's Boniface set for Milan

Victor Boniface is due to join AC Milan on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, according to various reports.

The Nigeria international's move will include an option to make the move permanent next summer for around £26m.

Boniface, 24, scored 11 times in 27 games for Leverkusen last term.

Godfrey set for Blades medical

Sheffield United are poised to bring in Ben Godfrey on loan from Atalanta.

According to Sky in Italy, the defender was due to fly to England on Wednesday night for a medical.

The Championship side will have a chance to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Spurs' Eze issue uncovered

Part of Tottenham's early plan for Eberechi Eze was to send Richarlison to Crystal Palace as part of the deal.

However, according to Sky Sports, the Brazilian was not keen on heading to Selhurst Park.

Eze is now set for Arsenal in a deal worth up to £67.5m including add-ons.

DONE DEAL: Bournemouth sign Adli

Bournemouth have completed the signing of Amine Adli.

The Morocco international has joined from Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year deal, hot on the heels of Ben Gannon-Doak's move from Liverpool.

"Amine is a proven winner and someone that will be a real asset to our squad," president of football operations Tiago Pinto said.

"He’s entering the prime of his career and I’m really excited to bring him to the club."

Chelsea to cash in on Veiga

Chelsea are set to sell Renato Veiga to Villarreal, according to The Athletic.

The versatile Portugal international joined the Blues from Basel last summer but played just 18 times before joining Juventus on loan.

Juve had been linked with a permanent swoop, but instead he will join Villarreal for an initial £21m.

What Eze move might mean for Morgan Rogers

Arsenal had been linked with Morgan Rogers before their Eberechi Eze breakthrough.

Will the latest development ensure Rogers stays put after Villa set a high asking price for the England international?

Or might Tottenham now chance their arm after missing out on Eze?

Arsenal Eze excitement ramps up

Arsenal have yet to confirm Eberechi Eze's arrival, but excitement is growing.

Overnight, street art has emerged showing the playmaker in a Gunners shirt.

It might not be all that long before we see the real thing.

Douglas Luiz set for Forest medical

Douglas Luiz will undergo a Nottingham Forest medical today, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Brazilian is set to replace Danlio, who returned to his home country from Forest earlier in the summer.

Luiz's exit could help accelerate some of Juve's other transfer business before the window shuts.

Villa's Moreno off to Girona

Alex Moreno is set to leave Aston Villa for Girona, according to The Athletic.

The Spanish defender had been back at Villa Park after a loan spell with Nottingham Forest.

He will return to La Liga on a permanent basis, two-and-a-half years after joining Villa from Real Betis.

Marseille want West Ham's Emerson

Emerson Palmieri has emerged as a target for Marseille, according to Foot Mercato (via GFFN).

The West Ham left-back found him in and out of the side under Graham Potter last term after the emergence of Ollie Scarles.

Potter also brought in El Hadji Malick Diouf over the summer, and this could pave the way for Italy international Emerson to leave East London.

Enciso headed to Strasbourg

Strasbourg are closing in on Brighton youngster Julio Enciso, according to BBC Sport.

The French club are reportedly paying £17.3m for the Paraguay internatioanl, who is being tipped to later join sister side Chelsea.

Enciso, who joined Brighton in 2022, finished last season on loan at Ipswich after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Liverpool given fresh Guehi hope

Arsenal's move for Eze could see Jakub Kiwior move in the other direction, albeit in a separate deal.

If the Pole moves to Selhurst Park, that might prompt the Eagles to cash in on Liverpool target Marc Guehi.

Guehi is in the final year of his contract, but Palace's high asking price has so far put off the champions.

ICYMI: Arsenal lead Eze race

If you were out last night, you may have missed the news that Arsenal are poised to pip Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze.

Spurs had reached an agreement with Crystal Palace for the England star, only for their rivals to swoop in at the eleventh hour.

We should see movement on the deal pretty swiftly, though Eze might be an Arsenal player in time for Saturday's game against Leeds.

He is set to undergo a Gunners medical, but only after one last Palace game against Fredrikstad in tonight's Conference League play-off.

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Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze looked set to join Tottenham Hotspur, but a last ditch attempt by Arsenal to secure his signature now looks to have won over the England international

Bukayo Saka possibly dropped a subtle hint that Eberechi Eze could join him at Arsenal earlier this month. The Gunners have swooped in for the Crystal Palace winger at the eleventh hour ahead of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs looked to have secured their man. However, Mikel Arteta's side made it clear they would meet Palace's asking price of £68million, while agreeing terms with the England star, pulling off an incredible late stage hijack. A switch to the Emirates Stadium will see Eze join up with some of his international team-mates, one of those being Saka.

Before the new season kicked off, Saka posted pictures on his Instagram story showing him visiting the New Balance shop in London.

In one of the snaps, there is a big picture of Saka, alongside a display of New Balance footballs. However, just in front of the picture of the Arsenal star, is a much smaller photo of Eze. Subtle? Indeed. A coincidence, with Eze also having a partnership with the sportswear brand? Maybe.

However, with recent events transpiring how they have, it's safe to say, while the placement of Eze's photo in Saka's story was perhaps coincidental, it now looks like a deliberate hint from the 23-year-old that he perhaps knew all along that his England team-mate would end up joining him in north London.

Palace chairman Steve Parish and Tottenham owner Daniel Levy were locked in talks over a deal for Eze. Yet Eze always preferred to join Arsenal – the club where he spent time in the academy – and that proved crucial in luring him back to the Gunners.

The Athletic reports that, having previously been put off by the asking price, Arsenal eventually indicated that they will pay the release clause, which expired last Friday.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis worked fast to reach an agreement, which will see Eze undergo a medical after playing one final time for Palace in their Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening at Selhurst Park.

However, Palace could still omit him from the tie to avoid risk of injury before his Arsenal medical.

Palace’s insistence that any deal be put on hold until after their Conference League play-off match ultimately helped to end Spurs' chances of landing Eze, as it gave Arsenal time to swoop.

The Gunners have not hidden their admiration for Eze, but had backed away from a deal in recent weeks, seemingly leaving Spurs to have a free run. However, a knee injury to Kai Havertz spurred Arsenal into action.

Arsenal have already spent over £200m this summer on Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

And adding Eze to their armoury will certainly strengthen their push for the title. Eze has made 167 appearances for Palace since joining from Queens Park Rangers in 2020 in a deal worth £17m. The 27-year-old played 43 times in all competitions for Palace last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists.

Meanwhile at Tottenham, Thomas Frank is still desperately keen to add a creative spark to his squad after losing James Maddison to a serious knee injury, while Son Heung-min also departed this summer. Mohammed Kudus has arrived from West Ham, but further reinforcements are certainly needed.

This summer has seen Premier League stars down tools to secure moves away, but Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze has kept his head down before sealing his dream transfer to Arsenal

Eberechi Eze’s professionalism for Crystal Palace despite knowing he's been likely to move on this month shows exactly the kind of character Arsenal are getting. The Palace talisman, 27, was seemingly set to join Tottenham until Wednesday night’s bombshell news that their north London rivals had hijacked the deal.

The Gunners had cooled their interest in the England international after agreeing a contract extension for 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri. That opened up the floor for Spurs to emerge as favourites to land Eze, who was up for making the move but had preferred to join his boyhood club, Arsenal.

Several days of difficult negotiations followed between Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Palace co-owner Steve Parish over a fee, only for Arsenal to brutally cast their bitter rivals aside by agreeing a deal with the south London club. The Gunners submitted a bid in the region of Eze’s £68million release clause, which expired earlier this summer, usurping the fee rivals Spurs were prepared to pay and giving Palace what they wanted.

As first reported by The Independent, the Gunners struck the principles of an agreement with Palace as early as August 10, but did not appear to want to follow through on that agreement - until forward Kai Havertz’s injury blow left them short offensively. Steve Parish’s relationship with Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis and that prior agreement already being made, moved the Gunners right to the front of the queue.

Eze is expected to undergo his medical on Friday at London Colney, and has made clear that he is keen to play for Palace in Thursday’s Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad. It demonstrates the same exemplary attitude and commitment the player has shown all summer long amid swirling rumours around his future.

However, he may not get his way, now that a fee has been agreed with Arsenal.

Despite making it clear to Palace that he was open for a new challenge, Eze has not downed tools like various other Premier League stars we have seen in recent weeks, playing in both of their competitive games thus far, having already etched his name into club folklore by winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

Eze is now set to become Arsenal’s seventh signing of the window under new sporting director Andrea Berta. And given how vocal the player has been in the past about his love for the Gunners, it is likely he will give his all in an Arsenal shirt too.

Eze was once part of the north Londoners’ academy and has made no secret of his heartbreak when he was released as a 13-year-old. The then-teenager admitted he couldn’t focus on his training and was left “crying for a week” in his room.

Nevertheless, Eze’s affection for the Emirates Stadium outfit remained strong, as he stated in 2018 Thierry Henry was his idol and that Arsenal would win the league that season.

He said: "When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that's sort of why I decided to sign for them. Just growing up playing for them, I've grown a love for them."

If Eze plays on Thursday night, it will be his 170th and final appearance for Palace, during which time he's scored 40 goals. He has been capped 12 times by England, scoring once.

Arsenal have moved ahead of bitter rivals Tottenham in the race for Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze with sporting director Andrea Berta attempting to get a deal done by next month’s deadline

Arsenal have once again put Tottenham’s noses out of joint when it comes to the transfer market - this time with a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. Spurs looked set to seal a sensational deal for the England wideman in what represented a considerable coup for Thomas Frank's side.

But Arsenal have not let Eze move to North London without muscling in on a deal and it now appears that the 27-year-old is now primed for a switch to the Emirates Stadium before next month’s transfer deadline. It’s certainly left Spurs baffled, while Arsenal now appear to have secured a player that they have admired for some time. The process in the Gunners hijacking the move has not been particularly swift though.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta actually thrashed out the terms of the deal as early as August 10 - as first reported by The Independent - although that was kept quiet, so much so to the extent that word was put out that they needed to sell players first, while a left-winger was higher up on their agenda. Their move for Eze was basically put on ice.

That left the door open to Spurs, who were then considered as the favourites for his services. They finally agreed terms with Palace and Eze on Wednesday after a series of complicated and often fraught discussions - with the player himself ready to move, albeit after turning out for the Eagles in their Europa Conference League playoff vs Fredrikstad on Thursday.

Kai Havertz’s knee injury however accelerated Arsenal’s thinking and pushed them into actions - leading them to gazump Spurs’ bid.

Daniel Levy had thrashed out a deal worth £50m plus £10m in add-ons, while Arsenal will pay £60m and £7.5m in add-ons. Steve Parish’s relationship with Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis appears to have moved the Gunners to the front of the queue over recent days.

The pair are in regular communication - far more than Parish and Spurs chief Levy. The chance of more business also appears to have strengthened Arsenal’s hand - with defender Jakub Kiwior currently of interest to Palace.

Is Eberechi Eze a good signing for Arsenal? Share your thoughts in the comments below

In the middle of all of it though was Eze himself, who was ‘excited’ about becoming a Spurs player despite his affection for the Gunners. The England man was released by Arsenal as a teenager and had spoken of his ‘dream’ to one day represent the club.

Given Arsenal’s previous hesitation, he had accepted that dream might not become a reality. He had held talks with Parish to try and resolve the situation but to no avail. That was until Wednesday, when Arsenal moved to the front of the queue for Eze. Spurs have not officially pulled out but all of the signs now point to Eze becoming an Arsenal player.

It has now left Levy facing questions. The Spurs chief has also missed out on a deal for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, with Gubbs-White also ready to move before performing a dramatic u-turn to sign a new deal with the Midlands side.

This one will likely sting more. It leaves Arsenal with a hugely talented footballer, who appears to have secured his dream move against all odds.

Tottenham are still working on a deal to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace and their pursuit could now be aided with their Premier League rivals closing in on a replacement

Tottenham and Crystal Palace have still not yet reached an agreement over a transfer fee for Eberechi Eze, who is now likely to feature in the Eagles' opening Europa Conference League fixture on Thursday.

Spurs and Palace have been in talks over a deal for Eze, 27, this week with the former stepping up their efforts to land the attacking midfielder after discovering that the injured James Maddison is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. However, the two clubs have so far been unable to agree on a payment structure for a proposed £60million deal.

Talks are expected to continue over the coming days with Eze keen on the idea of moving across London. But with no agreement in place, the former QPR man is now poised to start in Palace's Europa Conference League play-off first leg against Fredrikstad on Thursday.

Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace's head coach, confirmed as much on Wednesday when he revealed that Eze and Marc Guehi - a target for Liverpool - remain committed to the cause despite interest from elsewhere.

"Most of you will be surprised that they will start again tomorrow because of all the rumours," Glasner said in a press conference. "But they are committed here and they will play a crucial part."

While Eze is likely to be on the pitch for the start of Crystal Palace's maiden European campaign, it seems likely that the club and Tottenham will reach an agreement for his transfer before September 1. Encouragingly for Tottenham, though, Palace have made progress in their pursuit of a player who could help fill the sizeable void Eze would leave.

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Bilal El Khannouss of Leicester is one of the targets Palace have identified amid interest in Eze and Sky Sports claim that the FA Cup winners are now 'close' to agreeing a deal worth £32million for the attacking midfielder.

El Khannouss, 21, is among a number of options Palace are weighing up during the final two weeks of the transfer window. They also hold an interest in Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge, though it now seems that a deal for El Khannouss is more advanced.

The Morocco star contributed two goals and three assists in 32 Premier League appearances for Leicester last season as they were relegated from the top-flight.