Eberechi Eze is expected to start Crystal Palace’s opening Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday amid ongoing interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking before Palace’s first league game of the season at Stamford Bridge, head coach Oliver Glasner praised Eze’s professionalism but offered no guarantees he would remain at the club beyond the September 1 transfer deadline.
Palace are working on possible replacements for Eze, who played the full 90 minutes in last week’s Community Shield match against Liverpool, and have approached Leicester City to explore a potential move for Bilal El Khannouss.
The only incomings to Glasner’s squad this summer have been goalkeeper Walter Benitez and full-back Borna Sosa.
Spurs have already added a forward to their squad this summer, completing the permanent transfer of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich in a deal worth €35m, plus €10m in potential bonuses.
Thomas Frank’s side, who defeated Burnley 3-0 in their Premier League opener on Saturday, have also signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.
Spurs are without former captain Heung-min Son, who joined Los Angeles FC in August after asking to leave the north London side, while James Maddison is set to miss the majority of the coming campaign after suffering an ACL injury.
Spurs have also approached Manchester City over a move for winger Savinho, who they are pursuing separately from Eze.
Eze moved to Selhurst Park in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth around £17m from Queens Park Rangers.
The England international, who is capable of playing at No 10 or wide, has made 167 appearances and scored 40 goals for the south London club.
‘Eze can be that stardust’
Analysis by senior data writer Mark Carey
Even without Maddison’s long-term anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Spurs’ move for Eze makes a lot of sense.
Thomas Frank has been clear that he would still like to strengthen his squad, and signing one of the Premier League’s most creative players — in the prime of his career — is not a bad way to go about it. The added bonus of Eze’s profile is the versatility that he can offer in attacking areas, operating best as a No 10 but able to play on the left side of his team’s attack or drop into a left-sided midfield position if required. Whatever his role, he will look to find the space to impose maximum damage to the opposition with the sharpest efficiency.
Spurs’ attacking output was actually not their primary concern in a disappointing league campaign last season, but there were plenty of occasions where they were unable to find the creative stardust required to open up an opposition defence who sit in a deeper block. Eze can be that stardust.
In the modern game, those who can break a player-for-player press with a drop of the shoulder or a driving run forward have never been so valuable — opening up the opposition structure with a moment of individual quality as the dominoes begin to fall.
Eze also has the ability to thread a pass forward when spaces open up in front of him, making him a double threat in the attacking third. Acquiring an attacking midfielder of the Englishman’s creative profile might be a key chapter in Tottenham’s season as they embark upon a new era.
What Eze move would mean for Tottenham
Analysis from Tottenham correspondent Jay Harris
This would be a fantastic piece of business for Spurs. It feels like they are linked with Eze every summer and finally pulling off a deal for the attacking midfielder would please the entire fanbase.
Missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White was a huge blow which was made even worse by James Maddison suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this month which should rule him out for the majority of the season. With Dejan Kulusevski still recovering from knee surgery, Spurs desperately crave a playmaker and Eze fits the bill perfectly. Frank has used a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout pre-season and Eze should effortlessly slot into the No 10 role.
The 27-year-old’s dizzying dribbling style draws multiple defenders towards him and creates space for others. He loves playing sharp one-twos with the centre-forward and bursting into the box to shoot. He has the passing range and vision to create loads of chances for his England team-mate Dominic Solanke.
Perhaps even more importantly, Eze is a player in the prime of his career. Spurs squad is packed with exciting young talent, including Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, but Eze guarantees you immediate quality. A front four consisting of Solanke, Eze, Mohammed Kudus and Brennan Johnson, Tel or Odobert will be thrilling to watch.
This would also feel significant because Arsenal were interested in signing Eze this summer. Eze started his career in Arsenal’s academy but was released. Moving to Spurs instead of returning to their north London rivals would instantly make him a hero with the supporters.
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