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Arsenal beat Spurs to Eberechi Eze in £60m+ coup — what it means, why it happened, and what comes next

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Arsenal beat Spurs to Eberechi Eze in £60m+ coup — what it means, why it happened, and what comes next

Arsenal have won the North London tug-of-war for Eberechi Eze, striking a deal with Crystal Palace that’s £60m guaranteed plus up to £7.5m in add-ons after dramatically overtaking Tottenham in the final stretch of negotiations. Multiple top outlets report agreement on fee and personal terms, with the 27-year-old England international set to sign a long-term contract at the Emirates. Sky Sports+1ESPN.com

The late twist follows an injury to Kai Havertz that sharpened Arsenal’s need for an immediate, creative goal threat. Spurs, who believed they were close to the finish line earlier in the week, were left stunned as Arsenal reignited talks and closed. The GuardianESPN

A transfer with layers: fee, timing, and the rivalry sub-plot

  • The money: Reporting converges on £60m + up to £7.5m in performance-related add-ons (total £67.5m). That structure mirrors widespread coverage across Sky Sports, ESPN, and The Guardian. Sky SportsESPNThe Guardian

  • The timing: Arsenal moved decisively after Havertz’s knee issue, with medical and registration logistics pushed at speed to get Eze eligible as soon as possible. The SunESPN

  • The hijack: Spurs were confident earlier in the week, but Arsenal’s late surge proved decisive—classic deadline-window brinkmanship. The Independent

From Palace talisman to Arteta’s “magic moments” maker

Output snapshot (recent seasons):

  • 2023/24 Premier League: 11 goals.

  • 2024/25 Premier League: 8 goals, 8 assists; 15 goals, 11 assists in all competitions. FootyStats

Beyond raw totals, Eze’s profile is tailor-made for Arsenal’s positional play. He thrives off the left half-space, receives under pressure, and carries at pace to destabilize set defenses—precisely the scenarios Arsenal often face at the Emirates against low blocks. Expect Mikel Arteta to use him in three primary patterns:

  1. LW/inside 10 in a 4-3-3: underlapping Zinchenko/Timber rotations free Eze to receive between the lines and combine with Ødegaard/Saka.

  2. Left-sided 8/10 in a 4-2-3-1: Eze as a ball-carrying progressor, arriving at the edge of the box while the 9 pins the back line.

  3. Box-midfield wrinkles: with Rice dropping to form a back three in build-up, Eze can pop up in either half-space to create 2-v-1s wide and isolate full-backs.

The Evening Standard has already outlined plausible XI permutations that echo these ideas.

Why Palace sell — and who else benefits

This is a bittersweet deal for Palace. Eze was central to their recent success, but the offer magnitude and player preference tipped the balance. Crucially, QPR inserted a sell-on clause when they sold Eze to Palace in 2020, and several reputable reports suggest a 15% of profit mechanism (some cite 20%). Depending on the final accounting, QPR are widely expected to bank ~£6–9m from the resale.