Arsenal have been informed that they would have to pay more than half of Eberechi Eze’s release clause up front to sign the England forward, with Crystal Palace determined not to allow him to leave for less than a fee that could reach up to £67.5m including bonuses.
It is understood Arsenal officials have held initial talks with Palace over a deal for Eze, who has two years left on his contract at Selhurst Park. Palace are believed to have indicated that they are not willing to accept any bids below the 27-year-old’s release clause and want £35m in advance, with the rest of his initial £60m fee due in instalments.
The clause includes up to £7.5m in add-ons and is thought to expire before the Premier League season kicks off on 16 August, although that is not understood to affect Palace’s valuation of the player they signed from Queens Park Rangers in 2020 for a fee worth up to £19.5m. QPR are believed to be due 15% of any profit Palace make on the sale. Arsenal officials are understood to have met with Eze’s representatives last month to discuss personal terms and he is thought to be keen to return to the club where he was released as a 13-year-old.
Having committed more than £200m on six players during this window, Arsenal are hoping to move on several fringe players that could help fund a move for Eze. There is interest in Leandro Trossard from other Premier League clubs as well as Borussia Dortmund, with the Belgium forward yet to sign an extension on his deal that expires next summer, although Arsenal have an option to extend it by 12 months. Reiss Nelson is being targeted by Fulham, while Albert Sambi Lokonga, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fábio Vieira would also be allowed to depart for the right price.
With the appeal against their demotion from the Europa League due to be heard at the court of arbitration for sport on or before 11 August, Palace are also facing uncertainty over the future of captain Marc Guéhi. He is wanted by Liverpool but the Premier League champions have so far been reluctant to meet Palace’s valuation for the defender, whose contract expires next summer.
Palace are believed to have lined up Ousmane Diomande from Sporting as a potential replacement for Guéhi, while they are also interested in Bilal El Khannouss of Leicester. But with goalkeeper Walter Benítez and defender Borna Sosa the only new additions to the squad so far, manager Oliver Glasner has admitted his disappointment at Palace’s lack of activity. “Even though all the players are still here, we haven’t made the most of the transfer window so far,” the manager told Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung during the club’s pre-season tour. “I was promised that we would be more active and bring in the new players earlier this year.
“As of now, I have 17 outfield players. I hope we don’t lose any more. If that happens and we get four new ones on deadline day like last year, another false start is possible”. Glasner has yet to reopen talks about extending his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
Palace failed to win any of their opening eight Premier League fixtures last season but went on to finish 12th and picked up their first major trophy thanks to Eze’s winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. They return to Wembley to face Liverpool in the Community Shield on 10 August.
