Well, that escalated quickly.
Arsenal have agreed a deal worth £60 million plus £10 million in add-ons to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
The 27-year-old will make a farewell appearance for the Eagles in their Europa Conference League play-off against Norwegian side Fredrikstad — a competition they probably shouldn’t be in, but that’s another story.
It’s a fitting send-off for the man who booked Palace’s first-ever European adventure with that FA Cup-winning goal against Manchester City in May.
Palace had been deep in talks with Sp*rs, but with Daniel Levy spending the past fortnight trying to haggle over every last clause, including injury clawbacks and Champions League bonuses, Arsenal simply walked in, slapped the money on the table, and left Steve Parish grinning like a Cheshire cat. The player is equally delighted.
Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta had already pitched the move to Eze earlier in the summer. At one stage, it looked unlikely, but the knee injury to Kai Havertz forced Arsenal’s hand. A boyhood Gooner, Eze has now got the return to north London he’s long dreamed of.
Barring any mishaps in midweek (touch all the wood you can find!) he’ll undergo a medical later this week and could be unveiled in time for the trip to Anfield at the end of the month.