Arsenal are hoping to include a player in their bid for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, according to reports.
English tabloid The Sun claim that a young defender could be used in a “sensational swap deal” for the England international.
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Eze does have a release clause in his contract, but the total cost of signing the player could amount to £68m, including performance-related add-ons.
To get around paying such a sizeable fee, sporting director Andrea Berta is hoping that Palace will consider a part-exchange.
Who is the identity of the player who could be sent to Palace?
The Sun say they are not aware of the player’s name, but other sources have suggested that Josh Nichols is the prime candidate.
While the right-back has made his debut for the Gunners, having played the full 90 minutes against Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup last September, that is his only appearance at senior level to date.
With that being the case, it does raise questions as to how much Nichols would be valued as in any swap for Eze.
Why do Arsenal want to sign Eze?
It was originally assumed that the 27-year-old had been identified as an option to strengthen the left flank, but it has been subsequently claimed that the club’s interest is independent of their pursuit of a winger.
From the looks of things, Eze would be directly competing with captain Martin Odegaard for a place in the starting lineup, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to have a different type of No.10.
Of course, that does raise further doubts about the future of Ethan Nwaneri. The 18-year-old’s contract at the Emirates expires next summer and he is said to be concerned about a lack of game time.
In other news, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Arsenal have “agreed a five year contract” with a player