Chelsea’s first Premier League game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday has taken a dramatic turn. Eberechi Eze is likely to miss the short trip across London. The England international has told Palace that he wants to join Tottenham Hotspur, and reports say that he has already agreed to personal terms with the north London club.
Oliver Glasner’s team couldn’t have picked a worse time to have Eze absent. After James Maddison was ruled out for most of the season with a serious ACL injury, Spurs sped up their search for a midfielder to fill the creative gap in their team. Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri broke the news earlier this week, saying that Eze is now trying to finish the deal before the transfer window opens up.
Palace don’t want to lose their best player, but things are tough for them. The £68 million release clause for Eze is thought to have run out earlier this summer. That gives Palace more power in negotiations, but Spurs want to make a deal that shows how important he is.
Eze used to play for Arsenal, but now it looks like he will be moving to north London with Tottenham, who will see him as their biggest summer signing.
How This Affects Chelsea
Chelsea will be very happy that Palace’s most dangerous attacker is not playing. Eze is the Eagles’ best ball-carrier. He can break through defences with his dribbling and is always a threat from set pieces. Palace might have trouble building attacks in the middle without him, which would make things easier for Enzo Maresca’s outfit.
The Blues won’t take anything for granted, but it’s clear that the visitors’ attack will be weaker if Eze doesn’t play. Palace have reportedly looked into other options, such as Genk midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, but any replacement would come too late to change the outcome of the game on Sunday.
The London derby at Stamford Bridge starts at 2:00 PM on 17 August. Eze’s future is clearly moving away from Selhurst Park, whether he doesn’t show up or shows up late. Chelsea may be the first team to benefit.