Tottenham transfer news: £68m Eberechi Eze problem emerges after 'missed deadline' as Arsenal threat assessed

Tottenham Hotspur must reportedly overcome a fresh obstacle in their efforts to sign Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze, as the £68m release clause in his contract has expired.

The Lilywhites are understood to have revived their interest in the former Queens Park Rangers starlet following James Maddison's crushing ACL injury, which could rule the playmaker out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Conversations have been held between Eze's camp and Tottenham, who are now supposedly planning to open 'formal talks' over a deal for the England international after learning that he would be keen on a move.

Palace would have been powerless to prevent Eze from moving had Spurs activated a £68m release clause in his contract, but according to the Evening Standard, Spurs have missed the deadline as that option expired on Friday.

The report claims that the clause would no longer be valid once the 2025-26 Premier League season kicked off, and Tottenham will now have to directly negotiate a fee with Palace if they wish to prise Eze away from Selhurst Park, giving his current club more power in negotiations.

Eze release clause 'expires' amid Tottenham transfer interest

The Eagles can now hold out for a higher fee than his former £68m buyout option, which Tottenham apparently had no interest in forking out, and Eze remains content at Selhurst Park amid the incessant speculation.

However, Eze's contract with the FA Cup winners runs out at the end of the 2026-27 season, so if the playmaker does not renew before next summer, Palace may find themselves in a position where they are pressured into a cut-price sale.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty, Eagles boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed that he expects Eze to start in Sunday's Premier League opener against Chelsea, where the 27-year-old will make his 169th appearance for the Community Shield winners.

Eze has produced a total of 40 goals and 28 assists from his first 168 games in a Palace kit, including 14 strikes and 11 helpers from 43 appearances across all tournaments in the 2024-25 campaign.

Eze transfer latest: Do Spurs need to worry about Arsenal threat?

Barely a few weeks ago, Arsenal appeared to be at the front of the Eze transfer queue after Tottenham cooled their interest, but the Europa League winners have since overtaken their North London rivals and are in pole position to strike a deal.

Arsenal's admiration for the ex-QPR man is well-documented, and Eze himself would supposedly welcome the switch to the Emirates Stadium too, but there is currently no sign of the Gunners making an official approach for the Palace attacker.

Mikel Arteta's need for a new creative force has lessened thanks to Ethan Nwaneri's contract renewal - the 18-year-old is expected to battle Martin Odegaard for the number 10 spot this season - and Arsenal are also yet to make a significant attacking sale in the current window.

While Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira all remain at the club, there will be no room for Eze, and the Gunners will almost certainly have to offload one of their current attackers before they can think about firming up their interest.

Vieira has attracted interest from the Premier League and Bundesliga, but a move is not imminent, so Spurs should not worry about the threat posed by their bitter rivals - for now.