Eberechi Eze crystal palace
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are closing in on an agreement to sign Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze this summer.
The Gunners have made six signings during the ongoing transfer window, and there could be more activity before the transfer deadline on September 1.
A versatile playmaker is one of the main priorities for the London heavyweights, and Football Transfers claim that Arsenal have agreed a deal for Eze.
The club are ready to pay £55 million for the 27-year-old with £30 million as an initial payment. The nature of the instalments have yet to be finalised, but that is not expected to be a stumbling block.
However, Palace would need to secure a quality replacement first before sanctioning Eze’s transfer to the Gunners.
Matter of time
Arsenal had a mixed pre-season campaign with two losses and three victories. They were evidently poor in the final 3rd against Villarreal and Tottenham Hotspur, but made a remarkable improvement against Athletic Bilbao, winning by a 3-0 scoreline.
Despite this, manager Mikel Arteta may want more attacking ammunition in the squad for the new campaign. Viktor Gyokeres was brilliant in the recent win over Athletic and looks poised to become an undisputed starter from the number 9 position.
However, there is still room for a versatile playmaker in the ranks. Eze would be a perfect fit for the Gunners. The Englishman possesses fantastic dribbling skills and can also create chances and score goals with good consistency.
He is primarily a number 10 like Martin Odegaard, but has also played from the left flank. Arteta may see him as a left-sided winger, who could be occasionally rotated with Odegaard in the no.10 role. Either way, he would be a good addition to the squad.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have been inconsistent on the left wing over the past year. Noni Madueke showed promise with his crossing last weekend, but Arsenal need someone who can cut inside and provide a regular scoring threat.
Eze likes to operate as a left-sided no.10 at Palace and could seamlessly fit into the Arsenal starting XI. If the Gunners have agreed on a transfer fee, it could only be a matter of time before they complete the transfer of the highly-rated playmaker.