Tottenham Hotspur could look to steal a march in the race to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace in the coming weeks, according to reports - with the north London club thought to be 'readying' a player-plus-cash deal to land the England star during the summer transfer window.
Ange Postecoglou's side know they are in need of new recruits after a dismal Premier League campaign saw them finish 17th in the table, their worst-ever placement in the competition's 32-year-history - but with European football also being secured, that could see them make moves for the Premier League's best players, with Eze being on their shortlist ahead of a permanent move.
Report: Tottenham 'Readying' Player-Plus-Cash Deal for Eze
Tottenham have a lot of deadwood and could use that to their advantage in talks
The report by TEAMtalk states that although the Eagles have been in talks with Eze over a new contract, their reason for doing so is a concerted effort to stave off interest from Tottenham - who are keen to add real quality to their squad after qualifying for the Champions League via winning the Europa League.
Tottenham haven't given up on their long-term target yet, and as a result, they are prepared to either trigger his £68million release clause or propose a player-plus-cash deal.
Sources close to Eze believe that he is content at Palace, and knows that he owes his gratitude to them after taking him from Championship side Queens Park Rangers and making him into a Europa League player and an FA Cup winner - where he scored the only goal at Wembley vs Manchester City to record Palace's first-ever major trophy.
However, it's also thought that he is open to competing at the highest level, being driven by his ambition of more success and to feature in a prominent role for England at the World Cup next summer, having already been labelled as one of the 'best midfielders in the country'.
With a versatility that sees him play behind the striker or on the left-wing, Spurs could utilise Eze in various positions when competing on four competitive fronts next season, and he'd be a major coup in terms of ENIC's ambitions to remain a top-five side.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Eberechi Eze has 10 caps for England, scoring once in the previous international break.
Eze has a respectable 34 goals and 23 assists in just 146 games for Palace in the Premier League, and with an England goal to his name, now could be the time to try his hand on the biggest European stage.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 01-06-25.