Arsenal are set to hijack Tottenham's £60million move for Eberechi Eze, talkSPORT understands.
The Gunners have made a late swoop for Eze, after north London rivals Spurs had been closing in on securing a deal to sign him.
Arsenal have made a late move to hijack Spurs' Eze deal
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Arsenal have made a late move to hijack Spurs' Eze dealCredit: Getty
Spurs have been on the verge of completing a deal to sign the Crystal Palace star in a deal worth around £60m.
However, Mikel Arteta has now spoken directly with Eze after Arsenal accelerated their negotiations on Wednesday with him.
They stepped up their interest in Eze after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury expected to rule him out for several weeks.
It's also understood that boyhood Gunners fan Eze is willing to go back on his agreement with Spurs in order to seal a switch to the Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal held talks with the 27-year-old earlier in the summer window, and they have now returned.
And they are willing to meet the conditions set by Palace, as Eze nears a late change in destination.
Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are understood to have met with the England international in early July.
They pitched the Arsenal project before Spurs came in with their bid for him, which was close to being completed.
Eze was sold on joining the Gunners over a month ago, but no formal offer came in from the club.
However, they're back in and Eze is now waiting for a deal to be agreed, with the previous talks crucial to the move.
Eze held talks with Arsenal earlier this year and spoke with Arteta and Berta
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Eze held talks with Arsenal earlier this year and spoke with Arteta and BertaCredit: Getty
And it appears that earlier groundwork has impacted a move for Eze now
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And it appears that earlier groundwork has impacted a move for Eze nowCredit: Getty
Why have Arsenal bid for Eze now?
As mentioned, Arsenal have made their late approach to sign Eze after Havertz picked up an injury.
Havertz, who came off the bench in their season opener against Manchester United, is said to have suffered a knee injury.
The severity of the German's knock is unknown as things stand, but it is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.
He was absent from the Gunners' training session on Wednesday.
Arteta now moving for Eze is an indication that Havertz is set for a significant spell out, as the manager looks for more attacking options.
Havertz is expected to miss several weeks through injury
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Havertz is expected to miss several weeks through injuryCredit: Getty
More to follow...