Daniel Levy faces expensive mistake after late-night Eberechi Eze development
Tottenham remain interested in signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
Eze has been tipped to sign for a bigger club after his impressive season at Crystal Palace.
Spurs stepped up their interest in him after James Maddison was ruled out for several months with an ACL injury.
However, a late-night development on Friday may have scuppered Tottenham‘s chances of signing him.
Tottenham could miss out on Eze bargain after release clause expires
Eze had a release clause in his Crystal Palace contract, allowing him to talk to any clubs willing to bid £68million for him.
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However, that release clause expired on Friday at midnight.
That means Crystal Palace now have the right to refuse bids of any size for Eze as long as he remains contracted at Selhurst Park.
Reports indicate Daniel Levy wanted to pay less than £68m for Eze, and that’s believable considering his reputation as a ruthless negotiator.
However, it has been suggested that Tottenham may now have to pay more than £80m for Eze if they want to sign the England international.
Daniel Levy could be questioned as Eze release clause expires
Several mid-table clubs have sold their prized playmakers in this transfer window.
Levy may have used those transfers to suggest that Eze wasn’t worth £68m and try to drive down the asking price.
He negotiated a deal for Mohammed Kudus, another proven Premier League playmaker, for £55m.
This is a logical argument if that’s what happened, but at the same time, Tottenham are in a sticky situation after Maddison’s injury.
They’ve sold Son Heung-min, while Dejan Kulusevski is also injured. They need a new playmaker as soon as possible.
If Levy had considered Tottenham’s desperation, perhaps the £68m for Eze could have been justified.
Instead, they’re likely in a situation where they’ll have to pay more or focus on another target.