Arsenal are reportedly planning a payment structure that would enable them to secure a sensational move for Eberechi Eze. The Crystal Palace and England winger has been pinpointed as a crucial target as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his forward options.
Eze, 27, has a £60m release clause in his contract at Selhurst Park, which poses a significant obstacle for Arsenal. The Gunners have already splashed out on Martin Zubimendi and are on the brink of signing Christian Norgaard from Brentford, while Kepa Arrizabalaga has been snapped up for a nominal fee this summer.
They are also chasing a deal for Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to cost around £56.1m plus £13m in add ons. If all these deals go through, it would likely see Arsenal exhaust most of the budget they had set aside this summer, with any additional signings needing to be funded by player sales.
However, the north London club are hoping to circumvent this with a more manageable payment structure. According to The Independent, Arsenal aim to pay Eze's release clause in three instalments of approximately £20m, eventually totalling £60m.
The England international has two years left on his current contract and prefers a move to Arsenal if he decides to leave his present team. However, there is reportedly long-standing interest from Liverpool too.
The potential arrival of a new star at Emirates Stadium could cast doubt over the futures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, with reports suggesting both players could be on their way out. The latter has notably been tipped for a move to Saudi Arabia.
In other transfer news, Arsenal's eagerness to snap up recent acquisition Zubimendi has been made clear by both manager Arteta and sporting director Berta. The latter lavished praise, asserting: "We are so happy to bring Martin to Arsenal and have a lot of pride in finalising this transfer. Martin was a key target for us, and we all know that he is a perfect fit for our squad with the high quality he has.
"We welcome Martin and his family to the club. We look forward to him settling in with his teammates and are very excited to see him playing in an Arsenal shirt."
Arteta also hailed his new signing: "Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.
"The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club."