Arsenal have made their first contacts about a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
The Gunners want to bolster their forward line this summer for Mikel Arteta, following a third successive runners-up finish in the Premier League while they also reached the semi-final of the Champions League.
A new number nine is seen as a priority during the transfer window, but the club are also looking to add to their wide options and Eze is one of several targets being assessed.
Player's head turned amid Spurs interest
Eberechi Eze
Eze, who has been described as a "superstar" and has a £68m release clause in his Crystal Palace contract, has emerged as a target for the north London giants as they look to bring in a new winger.
But it's not just the red side of north London who are interested, with Tottenham also believing that he could be the right addition for their squad and new manager Thomas Frank has already given the move his green light.
Arsenal have now made their first contacts about a deal for the England international, and it's believed that his head has been turned as a result of being aware there could be a better option on the table for him this summer. Tottenham are now under pressure to speed up their move for the star, who turns 27 on Sunday, to avoid losing him to their fierce rivals.
Eberechi Eze's statistics for Crystal Palace this season
The Gunners have opted to step up their interest in Eze after their interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo stalled owing to his participation at the Club World Cup.
Arsenal kept a close eye on the Brazil star during Madrid's 3-0 win over Salzburg on Thursday night, where he came on as a substitute and played for 25 minutes while having minimal impact on the game.
Arsenal Waiting on Rodrygo Decision
Eze seen as alternative
Rodrygo in action for Real Madrid
24-year-old Rodrygo is believed to be frustrated at a lack of opportunities in his preferred left-wing role at Real Madrid, but the arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso has made him wait to see if anything changes.
Arsenal are already aware that they cannot formally push on with a move for the Brazil star until after the Club World Cup, and as things stand they have had no indication from the forward on what his preference would be. GMS sources previously revealed that Rodrygo would want £250,000-a-week to move to the Emirates this summer.
His situation goes hand-in-hand with how Arteta and co will approach the Eze deal from here, but they have now made their opening move to gather information.
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All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 27/06/2025.
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Arsenal are weighing up a move for Eberechi Eze despite pinpointing Rodrygo as their first-choice target