The North Londoners are set to compete in the UEFA Champions League when the next season comes around thanks to the recent triumph in Europa League but Daniel Levy will have to remember that he has to increase the depth of the roster while adding more dynamic profiles who do also bring a set creativity in key zones of the pitch especially considering how the current squad only has James Maddison to take up those playmaking duties but that being said we have seen how he Englishman is frustrating with his injury history especially given how the physical load of the next season would be compounded given the Premier League as well as the Champions League fixtures.
And this opens up the possibility of bringing in another creative profile that has the potential to share the creative burden with the former Foxes midfielder, and this is where Tottenham Hotspur’s links with a move for Crystal Palace make sense, given how he is somebody who can bring some sort of technical elegance and unpredictability to the current roster.
But recently journalist Ben Jacobs has backed Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to take over the North Londoners to the Crystal Palace star’s signatures. Given the departure of Kevin de Bruyne, it does make sense for the Cityzens to dip into the market for a new creative outlet, and in Eze they can land a silky midfielder who has shown that he has the capacity to wiggle out of the tightest spaces and in the biggest games. If we go to those final weeks of the 2024/25 season, Eze was an integral part of the success that Oliver Glasner’s side enjoyed while also scoring the decisive goal in the Eagles’ historic FA Cup win.
Now coming into the picture is Crystal Palace midfield maestro Eberechi Eze. The England international is possibly one of the cleanest 1v1 technicians in the English top tier, and his dominance in that creator role in zone 14 is possibly the best in the Premier League outside the traditional big six. And if Daniel Levy is looking to add more ceilings to the roster, then he needs to make a statement of intent, and Eze should be the name that the Lilywhites need to bet big on this summer.
Why Tottenham must beat Manchester City to Eberechi Eze
Tottenham Hotspur face a fight on their hands to land Eberechi Eze.
Tottenham Hotspur face a fight on their hands to land Eberechi Eze.
The thing is, you know when Pep Guardiola is moving for a creative midfielder from within the league, he is typically looking at a few traits, and that starts with whether the target is system-resilient and goes into whether he is technically elite and tactically malleable. See, Tottenham at least in the recent past don’t often compete (and win) for players in the City Blues orbit, but this is one of those rare moments where the player’s potential fit at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is actually better than it is at the Etihad.
At City he would still be a rotation option between the likes of Foden and Bernardo in the centre and Grealish and Doku on the left wing, while at Tottenham he can slot into that starting eleven seamlessly in the left #8 role or on the left wing. Moreover, the way that Man City play, Eze would require some adaptation to the structured playing style, while he would be more of a natural fit for Ange and the freedom-based system that the Australian has deployed at Tottenham. Then come the creative responsibilities that I was talking about. Well, at City he would be a third/fourth fiddle creator, while with the North Londoners he would be more of a central figure when it comes to attacking patterns.
We all saw with Grealish that Pep Guardiola’s positional play ends up restricting free dribblers and creative expression unless they’ve been honed in his system, and Eze would likely spend a season or two learning and adapting, playing 15 or maybe 20 starts at most. While donning the Lilywhites badge, he would be immediately among the thick of things.
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Author Opinion
Tottenham are linked with a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
Tottenham are linked with a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
To me, the North Londoners don’t just need Eze because he is talented, but this is also an opportunity to make a statement that Tottenham are serious about their credentials, and this is a signing that isn’t just justified by finances but also aligned tactically at N17.