Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is currently at the centre of a tug of war between Arsenal and Tottenham as we enter the final fortnight of this year's summer transfer window, with many twists and turns still to be had.
Eze is seen as the playmaker to fill James Maddison's gaping void at Spurs.
The aforementioned attacker was ruled out for a large portion of the new season after rupturing his ACL in pre-season against Newcastle United, while Arsenal have been looking at him as a potential number 10 addition to complement the likes of Martin Odegaard and highly-rated youngster Ethan Nwaneri (Sky Sports).
Reports throughout the last month have consistently suggested that Arsenal are in serious pursuit of Eze.
Some media sources even believe that Arsenal reached a partial agreement on financial terms with Palace after holding extensive talks on the player side, but a move for Eze may not be as advanced as this after all.
Earlier this week, talkSPORT reported that while Andrea Berta has maintained a serious interest in the 27-year-old and could still move for him, Arsenal are hesitating due to their desire to hand Nwaneri more consistent minutes in 2025/2026.
This has seemingly gifted their arch rivals, Tottenham, a chance to swoop in and strike a deal for Eze to combat the loss of Maddison.
While Eze is reliably believed to have held talks with Mikel Arteta about a move to N5, it appears Spurs are the ones making moves right now in terms of negotiations with Palace and a potential bid.
Eagles chairman Steve Parish has also apparently set a "difficult price", as explained by journalist Graeme Bailey to TBR Football.
Arsenal's fresh stance on signing Eberechi Eze with "difficult price" set
Arsenal have adopted a fresh stance over signing Eze amid rival interest from Tottenham and potentially paying over the odds, with Bailey claiming that a move for the England international is actually off for now.
“Eze is a tricky one. Steve Parish is asking well over £60 million, which is a difficult price. Arsenal liked the player, but that move seems to be off for now," said Bailey.
“Some people think Spurs might consider him too expensive, but I suspect they’ll try. They’ve paid that sort of money before, and I think Spurs will come in for him and probably get him.
“Unlike Arsenal, who always viewed Eze as a number 10 rather than a solution for the left-hand side, Tottenham see him as someone who can play on the left. That flexibility is likely to push Spurs to make a move in the coming days.
“Meanwhile, Arsenal are expected to focus on strengthening the left-hand side rather than pursuing someone they see primarily as a number 10. They are unlikely but not completely impossible to make a move for Eze at this point.”
The former QPR star bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, as well as averaging more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player in the Premier League.
His quality and attacking threat is clear, but Spurs are arguably the side more in need of Eze right now than Arteta - so it isn't surprising to see Thomas Frank's side move with much more gusto.