Eberechi Eze and the lightning-fast turnaround from Tottenham to Arsenal

On the night of August 23, Arsenal surprised everyone by officially signing Eberechi Eze, a very talented winger from Crystal Palace. Yet, Mikel Arteta revealed to the Daily Mail that Eze almost became a Tottenham player if not for a crucial call.

For 10 days straight, Tottenham persistently pursued Crystal Palace’s brightest star: Eberechi Eze. They agreed on a £55 million fee plus add-ons and even reached a personal agreement with Eze. Everyone believed the 27-year-old would soon debut at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But just when Spurs thought they had secured their target, Arsenal appeared with a £67.5 million offer and immediately changed the entire situation.

The climax of the drama came when Eze, just moments away from signing with Tottenham, picked up the phone and called Mikel Arteta. The Arsenal manager revealed this truth to the Daily Mail:

“This shows how much Eberechi Eze desired to join Arsenal. Sometimes there’s a slight difference because we want to be transparent with the player and let them make their own career decisions. I’m genuinely happy to have him. I feel this means a lot to him and his family.”

Arteta’s statement not only reveals the story behind this blockbuster signing but also showcases Arsenal’s ability to outmaneuver rivals at the last moment. Despite Tottenham doing everything to close the deal, the Gunners managed to land the decisive blow at the critical time.

It was disclosed that Palace initially wanted to keep Eze for the Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad (Norway). This pause gave Arsenal the chance to enter negotiations. However, instead of playing, Eze suddenly reported sick on the morning of the match, leading Crystal Palace’s coach Oliver Glasner to admit he expected a farewell but it didn’t happen. Just two days later, Eze donned the red jersey of Arsenal.

The way this transfer unfolded made Tottenham fans even more frustrated. They had an agreement and were preparing a presentation, only to see their arch-rivals bring Eze to Emirates. For Arsenal, this proves their ambition to return to the top: willing to pay more, act decisively, and above all, convince the player through their project.

Eze is expected to make his debut in the challenging trip to Anfield next weekend, where Arsenal face Liverpool in a six-pointer for the title race. His chances of starting are very clear as both Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka were injured in the 5-0 win over Leeds.

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