Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze from Premier League side Crystal Palace in the summer of 2025 for a fee of £68m, which was his release clause.
The Gunners signed Eze late on in the summer transfer window ahead of Tottenham after it was reported that the attacker had all but agreed to join Arsenal’s rivals. Eze was a boyhood Arsenal fan, and so his dream move has finally materialised.
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Mikel Arteta will hope that Eze can link up with his England teammates Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Myles Lewis-Skelly, and help to provide Arsenal with their first Premier League title since 2003/04.
But what about his career before joining the Gunners…?
Arsenal rejection before academy hopping and QPR move
As Eze grew up in London, he was always an Arsenal fan as a youngster, and he took a big step towards his dream of playing for them by joining the Gunners’ academy aged eight in 2006. Eze spent five years in Arsenal’s academy before the club decided to release him as they didn’t think he was good enough to continue at Hale End.
After his heart-breaking release, Eze went through Fulham’s academy, Reading’s academy and finally Millwall’s academy in a two year spell between 2014-2016. His performances for Millwall’s youth teams sparked limited interest despite his respected talent, agility and ability on the ball, but it did catch the attention of fellow London club Queen’s Park Rangers.
Eze signed his first professional contract for QPR in 2016 at the age of 18, however, in his first season, he didn’t get much of a chance with Ian Holloway’s side, making just one appearance in an FA Cup clash against Blackburn Rovers in January 2017, which was his professional debut.
In his second year at QPR, Eze made more of an impact, but only in the second half. In the summer, he was sent out on loan to join League Two side Wycombe Wanderers, and he excelled. Eze scored five goals in 20 league games, prompting QPR to recall him for the second half of the season. In the 16 appearances for QPR, he scored two goals and made one assist under manager Holloway.
His impressive performances handed the 20-year-old the chance to become a regular in the 2018-19 season, when he made 46 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals, and providing three assists under ex-England boss Steve McClaren. Eze’s breakout was in the 2019/20 season though, as he scored 14 goals, and provided eight assists in the Championship, being one of the most electric attackers in English football, it prompted a Premier League move the following summer.
Eze’s move to Crystal Palace and becoming a Premier League star
In August 2020, Eze signed for Premier League side Crystal Palace for a fee of around £17 million, as manager Roy Hodgson was said to be a big fan of the attacker, hoping he would develop into a star, and the 22-year-old certainly did that.
In his first season at Selhurst Park, he made an instant impact for Hodgson, scoring four goals, and providing six assists for Palace, slowly becoming more and more of a regular for the starting XI. By the end of the season, Eze was viewed as a key player for the Eagles.
The following season in 2021/22, Eze suffered a huge set-back, enduring a serious Achilles injury in May 2021, which kept him out of action for several months. He was however handed the number 10 shirt upon his return, and still managed to make 19 appearances for the Eagles despite the rehabilitation period.
After his recovery, the 2022/23 season was primed to be a big year for the English attacker, and so it proved to be. Eze made 40 appearances, scoring 10 goals, and providing four assists under manager Patrick Viera, and later, Hodgson again. After the season, Eze’s performances granted him his England debut under Gareth Southgate in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta in June.
The 2023/24 season was another special one for Eze, as he made 31 appearances, scoring 11 goals, and providing six assists under Hodgson, and eventually Oliver Glasner, who was really able to nurture Eze’s talents.
And so it proved, as Eze’s final season at Palace was his best under the management of Glasner. He scored 14 goals, and provided 11 assists in 43 games in all competitions. He also helped Palace to their first ever piece of major silverware, by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City, and handing the Eagles a place in Europe the following season. Eze scored the only goal of the game against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Eze was linked with Arsenal all summer long, and his £68m move eventually happened after a successful spell at Palace. It’s fair to say that Eze earned his dream move to the Emirates after a career where he grew and grew and grew into one of the best players in the Premier League. A really inspiring story will only get better…
Click here to see Arsenal’s first team squad with profiles for every player.