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Arsenal fans have been rejoicing after their club swooped in and secured a deal for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze from under the noses of Tottenham Hotspur.

On Wednesday evening, David Ornstein reported that Arsenal had made their move for Eze, who Tottenham felt they were close to signing.

Within a few hours, Fabrizio Romano declared “here we go” on Eze to Arsenal, with Ornstein reporting that a £68million package had been agreed.

Tottenham fans are now all saying the same thing in the wake of Arsenal winning the race for Eze.

Tottenham fans fuming with Daniel Levy as Arsenal swoop in for Eberechi Eze

Spurs fans were all incensed with chairman Daniel Levy, claiming he was not proactive enough in getting a deal over the line when they were in pole position.

“Make no mistake – this is all on Levy,” one Tottenham fan said on X. “Havertz got hurt and they acted right away and got Eze.

“Madders [James Maddison] tore his ACL 17 days ago and still no replacement. Add that with the MGW transfer… 20 years of this.”

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Another fan said: “We’ve had a clear run at Eze for weeks and just like that, them lot gonna get it done in 48hrs.

“Pathetic from Levy & ENIC…”

The criticism kept coming, with one fan saying: “It’s the final straw for me.

“Doesn’t matter who we sign now if anyone at all as they won’t be as good as Eze. Levy has finished me this time. Gutted.”

Another fan wrote: “It all boils down to Levy not being sufficient in the window and not locking deals up and truth be told we ain’t a big enough club to compete for the best players, simple!

“Gibbs-White & Eze in the same window! JOKE CLUB!”

Another fan said: “Levy an absolute disgrace for bottling the Eze deal and letting Woolwich get him.

“Embarrassing and a fireable offense. It’s clearly time #LevyOut.”

What Eberechi Eze will bring to Arsenal

What a day it has been for Arsenal fans, with their club winning on three fronts with the Eze deal.

The first thing is making their arch-rivals look like complete fools by hijacking a deal for a player they genuinely thought they were close to signing.

The second thing is replacing Kai Havertz, who is expected to be on the sidelines due to a knee injury, and the third is bringing in an upgrade on the left.

Over the past few weeks, Arsenal fans have made it clear that a new left-wing option was a necessity.

“Whatever his role, he will look to find the space to impose maximum damage to the opposition with the sharpest efficiency,” Mark Carey wrote in The Athletic.

“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.”

Arsenal are closing in on a major transfer-related triumph over Tottenham Hotspur as Eberechi Eze’s transfer to the Emirates Stadium draws ever closer.

On Wednesday evening, David Ornstein dropped the big bombshell by reporting that Arsenal had made their move for Eze, who Spurs felt they were close to signing.

Since then, things have picked up pace, to the point that the Gunners are now reported to have struck a deal with Crystal Palace over Eze.

Fabrizio Romano has declared “here we go” on Eze to Arsenal, while Ornstein has reported how much the Gunners are set to pay for Eze, along with a big concession made to Palace.

Arsenal set to pay around £68million for Eberechi Eze

First up, Ornstein reported that Arsenal have reached an agreement with Palace to sign Eze for around £68million.

The fee is in the region of Eze’s now-expired release clause, and it matches what Tottenham were ready to pay for the England international.

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In addition, Arsenal’s concession to Palace is in the form of letting him play for Palace in their Europa Conference League play-off meeting against Fredrikstad on Thursday.

Ornstein previously said Palace had not finalised a deal with Tottenham because of this, while Arsenal ‘indicated a willingness to meet the conditions’.

Later on in the hour, Romano declared “here we go” on Eze to Arsenal, with a “verbal agreement in place between all parties”.

Romano said the package would be worth “in excess of £60million” and reiterated that Eze preferred the Gunners over Spurs.

“Arsenal win race over Tottenham, been in advanced talks for days but never sealed,” concluded Romano, to the delight of everyone connected with the Gunners.

Eberechi Eze has already declared his love for Arsenal

Back in 2018, Eze revealed in an interview with Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone that Arsenal were his favourite team.

“I just supported them from [a] young [age], the way they play… I played with them when I was younger as well,” said the now Arsenal-bound star.

Eze, then at QPR, added: “When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that’s sort of why I decided to sign there [as a youth player].”

“Obviously to play for the club you support, that’s what I wanted to do… I’ve grown a love for the team.”

Tottenham Hotspur fan and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara has made his feelings very clear about the prospect of losing out to Arsenal for Eberechi Eze.

Tottenham appeared to be leading the race for Eze for a while, though this was mostly due to Arsenal seemingly not showing much interest in the Crystal Palace man.

However, with Kai Havertz suffering a knee injury, Arsenal have now sprung into action in order to find a high-quality replacement.

David Ornstein has reported that negotiations are now underway between Arsenal and Palace over Eze – and better still, their path seems fairly clear.

Needless to say, Jamie O’Hara is not best pleased.

Jamie O’Hara says his ‘head’s gonna fall off with Spurs’ if Eberechi Eze joins Arsenal

Considering Tottenham appeared to be in pole position for Eberechi Eze, reports of Arsenal finally deciding to make a move and suddenly getting their noses in front have not gone down well among fans of the other club.

“My head’s gonna fall off with Spurs if we lose Eze to Arsenal,” O’Hara wrote on X.

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And predictably, Arsenal fans revelled in his dismay.

“When you’re small, you’re small,” one Gunners supporter said on X, while another wrote: “Lmaoooooo better let it fall already. Player has made his choice.”

Why Eberechi Eze to Arsenal should not be a surprise

O’Hara might seem surprised, but really, the only way Tottenham would have won the Eze race would’ve been if Arsenal never stepped in – and Spurs were aware of this.

Back in 2018, while Eze was playing for Queens Park Rangers, he revealed in an interview with Alessandro Morolli-Schiavone that his favourite team was Arsenal.

When asked why he liked the Gunners, Eze said: “I just supported them from [a] young [age], the way they play… I played with them when I was younger as well.”

He added: “When I was younger, I used to love Thierry Henry, and that’s sort of why I decided to sign there (as a youth player).

“Obviously to play for the club you support, that’s what I wanted to do… I’ve grown a love for the team.”

Morolli-Schiavone then asked: “You are a Gunners fan, so that means you rule out ever playing for Tottenham?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know about any of this. Maybe,” Eze replied.

Arsenal have been rocked by more injury news at the start of the new campaign.

Arsenal’s injury crisis last season plagued their chances of winning major silverware and Mikel Arteta will be desperate for his team’s luck to not repeat itself this campaign.

Kai Havertz has picked up a knee injury and there are suggestions that the Gunners may have to dip back into the transfer market given the extent of the problem for the German.

Fans had been hoping for another attacking signing before the injury, however, this now heightens the urgency. Theo Walcott thinks one of their targets should sign for their North London rivals though.

Theo Walcott thinks Eberechi Eze should sign for Tottenham Hotspur instead of Arsenal

Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘It’s Called Soccer’ podcast, Walcott has expressed his belief that Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze would be better suited to a move to Spurs this summer.

Spurs have reportedly agreed a deal for Eze, who was of interest to the Gunners throughout the summer before Ethan Nwaneri signed a new contract at the club.

Walcott stated: “I said this last week, he would play consistently at Tottenham every week. At Arsenal, we’re talking about a team who are dogging out games, there’s the pressure of winning the title with Arsenal in a World Cup year.

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“He would be guaranteed to play on that left side for Tottenham, maybe in the 10 as well with Maddison injured.

“The stadium is incredible too. From pure football terms, a very good move for him. I would have loved him at Arsenal, but in terms of football, the right decision.”

Ian Wright thinks Eze is ‘unplayable’ and despite the England star preferring a move to the Gunners, he now looks set to move to the other side of North London.

Andrea Berta has already strengthened the attack with the signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, however, the injury to Havertz will now see him once again look for options.

Eze would certainly solve some of Arsenal’s creative issues but whether the Gunners can hijack the deal at the last minute is highly doubtful.

Decision to keep Leandro Trossard now becomes clear at Arsenal

Leandro Trossard was a player that was expected to leave North London this summer as part of a number of sales in order to bring in another attacking addition.

Fans were angry over Trossard’s contract extension, however, the reason behind the move has now become clear with Arteta not wanting to leave himself short again this season up top.

Trossard can cover Gyokeres in the centre forward position in the absence of Havertz and of course, can be used on both flanks.

If the Gunners needed further firepower up top before Havertz’s injury, it has become even more of a necessity now and time is rapidly running out before the September 1st deadline.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur aren’t just rivals on the pitch – they have often found themselves at loggerheads in the transfer market too.

Arsenal have competed for the Premier League title over the past few seasons, so they’ll have the edge over their North London rivals in terms of the best targets.

However, the fact Tottenham somehow managed to get into the 2025/26 Champions League means they’ll have more pulling power than usual.

Eberechi Eze is one player wanted by both Arsenal and Tottenham, and a report has emerged suggesting the Gunners are hesitating a little, which could cost them.

‘No proper transfer bid has yet materialised’ from Arsenal for Eberechi Eze

It’s no secret that Arsenal remain interested in Eze, a player who could potentially establish himself as the Gunners’ first-choice left-winger.

In addition, the Gunners view the England international as someone who can provide cover and competition for Martin Odegaard.

However, The Independent’s Miguel Delaney has reported that Spurs have ramped up interest in the 27-year-old after the injury to James Maddison.

Arsenal are ‘viewed as the Crystal Palace player’s first preference’, according to Delaney.

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However, ‘the fact that no proper transfer bid has yet materialised means there is a chance for Spurs to move forward.’

Tottenham are reported to be putting together a package for Palace to sign Eze, who is said to be open to joining the Lilywhites.

It is reported that Arsenal’s preference is to sell first, rather than risk making such a big signing and then being under pressure to sell before the end of the window.

Interestingly, the report suggests the Gunners are looking for an out-and-out left-winger ahead of Eze, suggesting the Palace star is not their first choice on that front.

Eberechi Eze’s release clause

There have been conflicting reports on Eze’s release clause.

Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday morning that Eze’s £68million clause has expired already, but Charles Watts believes it will expire on Friday 15 August.

Delaney has also reported that Eze’s release clause is active until 15 August for this window, meaning Arsenal still have an opportunity to trigger it and not have to strike a deal with Palace.

Arsenal will be expected to finish above Tottenham for the fourth consecutive season in 2025/26.

The Gunners have finished second in each of the last three campaigns, with Spurs moving between fifth and 17th in this period.

Mikel Arteta’s side should compete for the Premier League title once again, while the objective for Thomas Frank’s outfit will be to return to the top eight at least.

Arsenal have added Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke to their ranks in an attempt to close the gap to Liverpool, while Tottenham have thus far landed Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham now want to sign Eberechi Eze

Despite already signing six players this summer, Arsenal remain interested in Eze.

The Gunners view the England international as someone who can provide cover and competition for Martin Odegaard, while also potentially establishing himself as the first-choice left-winger.

That said, Crystal Palace are staunch in their stance of demanding £68 million for the player, while another potential suitor has now entered the room.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are now interested in signing Eze after failing to secure Morgan Gibbs-White and losing James Maddison to an ACL injury.

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The Lillywhites are desperate to add a new number ten to Frank’s squad, and this desperation could result in Daniel Levy forking out a significant fee for Palace’s talisman, which Arsenal aren’t willing to match.

Eze would be something of a luxury signing for the Gunners, while he’s a necessity for Spurs, and thus, Arsenal’s North London rivals are probably favourites to ultimately strike a deal with Palace.

Eze was in Arsenal’s academy until the age of 13.

The Gunners released him before he went on to spend time in the youth set-ups at Fulham, Reading and Millwall.

Eventually settling at Queens Park Rangers, Eze worked his way back up to the top, excelling in the last five years at Selhurst Park.

Similarly, Harry Kane was also once part of the Hale End academy, joining Arsenal at the age of eight, before being released for being ‘a bit chubby’ a year later.

Like Eze, Kane didn’t let this setback effect him, signing for Tottenham and eventually establishing himself as one of the best strikers in world football.

The Palace midfielder could now emulate the Bayern centre-forward by joining Spurs and thriving in N17, after having been released by Arsenal as a youngster.

The Gunners have the ability to prevent this nightmare from unfolding again by simply moving more quickly than the Lillywhites in the transfer market.

Tottenham didn’t appeal to one of Arsenal’s summer signings, reports have revealed.

Andrea Berta wasted no time improving Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer, signing six players before August came around.

The Gunners have the striker they so desperately needed on board, welcoming Viktor Gyokeres as well as signing competition on the wings in the form of Noni Madueke.

Madueke will challenge for a starting spot, making his arrival one of the most exciting; however, it’s not just the higher-calibre acquisitions that are generating attention.

Christian Norgaard snubbed Tottenham to join Arsenal

What made the difference last season, and what will make the difference over the coming campaign, is Arsenal’s squad depth.

The signings of Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arizabalaga and Christian Norgaard represent arrivals that add quality to the depth of Arteta’s squad.

Norgaard has made an impressive start to life at Arsenal, arriving from Brentford with a vast amount of Premier League experience under his belt.

Signing the former Brentford captain could prove to be a triumph for Arteta, even more so given how different things could’ve been.

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According to The Athletic, Thomas Frank was eager to sign Norgaard at Tottenham, but he was denied the chance due to the player’s preference.

The midfielder instead ‘chose Arsenal’, snubbing the Gunners’ North London neighbours in favour of joining Arteta’s project.

It was a particularly bold move from Norgaard, who had spent the majority of his professional career working alongside Frank.

Spurs have signed former Arsenal target Joao Palhinha

Frank admitted he felt emotional facing Norgaard when Arsenal and Spurs met in pre-season.

The Gunners won the race to sign Norgaard, but their rivals were able to recover from the transfer snub, ironically signing one of Arsenal’s targets.

Arsenal were interested in Joao Palhinha but opted to sign Norgaard instead, paving the way for the Bayern Munich midfielder to join Spurs on an initial loan.

Despite the form that the Portugal international showed at Fulham, there will be no complaints from Arsenal, who were advised not to sign Palhinha due to not needing the 30-year-old.

Having signed Martin Zubimendi to partner Declan Rice, Norgaard arrived as back-up, with no room in the squad for profiles such as Palhinha’s.

Arsenal suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the final game of their Asia tour.

It was a scrappy North London Derby in Hong Kong – the first to be played between the two sides outside of the UK.

A mix up between David Raya and Myles Lewis-Skelly allowed Pape Sarr to fire the winner just before half time in a game which saw Viktor Gyokeres make his debut from the bench.

The Swede was given the final 12 minutes of action as he works his way towards full fitness, however, Mikel Arteta has just proven that one player’s career at the club is coming to an end.

Albert Sambi Lokonga fails to make an Arsenal appearance on the pre-season tour of Asia

Arsenal’s 30-man squad to Asia included a real mix of youth and experienced first-team players hoping to gain some minutes under their belt ahead of the new season.

However, forgotten Gunners star Albert Sambi Lokonga was left red-faced after he failed to earn a minute of action across the three matches.

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Lokonga spent last season out on loan at Sevilla and will surely now be looking for a new club this summer after Arteta made it clear he isn’t in his plans.

The Belgian midfielder signed for Arsenal back in 2021 and Lokonga was once described as a ‘complete’ player by his former manager at Luton Town Rob Edwards.

Arsenal will have to suffer a loss on Albert Sambi Lokonga this summer

Having bought Lokonga for just over £15m in 2021, it is likely that Andrea Berta will have to suffer a huge loss on the midfielder to get him off the books.

Sevilla had an option to buy Lokonga for £10m but chose not to activate the clause after his loan spell in La Liga last season.

The Gunners need a number of player sales in order to fund a move for another attacking target – the club have interest in both Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo.

However, recouping a significant fee for Lokonga now looks unlikely, especially with the 25-year-old having experienced no action this pre-season.

Lokonga will return to the UK with the squad and hope that he may get his chance in the clashes with Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao at the Emirates before the season commences.

Arsenal slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday in a pre-season friendly.

This was the first-ever North London Derby played abroad, with the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong playing host to the historic match.

Spurs took the lead shortly before the break, courtesy of an exceptional long-range effort from Pape Sarr.

The Gunners pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but were unable to find one as Mikel Arteta’s men suffered their first defeat of pre-season.

Arsenal player ratings vs Tottenham Hotspur

David Raya – 7

Claimed crosses well and played some excellent long balls throughout. Solid.

Ben White – 6

Didn’t see enough of Ben White’s overlapping runs in the first half, but dealt with Wilson Odobert well. As Arsenal dominated the ball in the second period, he was significantly more influential.

William Saliba – 7

Swept up for Jakub Kiwior on a few occasions, while his passing was progressive and adventurous.

Jakub Kiwior – 6

Strong in possession, whilst being a little passive defensively at times.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly – 5

A couple of excellent carries forward early on, but faded as the game progressed. A poor giveaway for the Sarr goal.

Christian Norgaard – 7

Read the game excellently throughout and made some crucial defensive actions.

Declan Rice – 5

Not getting on the ball nearly as much as he’d have hoped, Declan Rice struggled when trying to carry Arsenal forward. Has been recovering from an injury in recent weeks, and that showed in this one.

Martin Odegaard – 6

Some nice touches here and there, but somewhat struggled to make an impact in the final third.

Bukayo Saka – 6

Looked dangerous whenever he was fed the ball, but that wasn’t frequently enough.

Kai Havertz – 6

Some very astute hold-up play from Kai Havertz, although he’ll be disappointed he couldn’t get more opportunities to score inside the box.

Gabriel Martinelli – 5

A very peripheral display from Gabriel Martinelli, even if his defensive work was typically excellent.

Substitutes

Martin Zubimendi – 7

Almost scored with a dipping volley with his first touch, and injected some energy into Arsenal’s passing.

Leandro Trossard – 6

Looked to be bright with the ball but was unable to influence the game in any meaningful way. Forced off through injury.

Cristhian Mosquera, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, Max Dowman, Viktor Gyokeres, Reiss Nelson – N/A

Introduced late in the game.

Kai Havertz started for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

The game at the Kai Tak Sports Park was the first-ever North London Derby outside the United Kingdom, and the support was absolutely incredible.

Before the game, all eyes were on whether Viktor Gyokeres would start, but Mikel Arteta put him on the bench and went with Havertz instead.

The German did something that impressed many Arsenal fans.

Arsenal star Kai Havertz sends Micky van de Ven flying

Micky van de Ven is one of Tottenham’s best players.

The Dutchman joined Spurs in 2023, and even though injuries have really troubled him, he has developed into a very good defender.

Van de Ven became popular for his blistering pace, but what people forget about him is that he is 6ft 4in tall and really strong.

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However, his strength was no match for Kai Havertz, who dominated him in a physical duel.

In the first half of the North London Derby in Hong Kong, Havertz and Van de Ven went shoulder-to-shoulder while challenging for the ball.

The Arsenal man showed off his strength in that duel as the Spurs defender went flying to the ground.

Arsenal fans have spotted Havertz bulking up over the last few months, and many now feel that all the hard work in the gym has paid off.

Arsenal fans react after Kai Havertz dominated Micky van de Ven

The clash in Hong Kong is a pre-season game, but there are no friendlies between Arsenal and Tottenham.

Players on both sides didn’t shy away from making challenges, and you could sense that there isn’t much love between the two teams.

Arsenal fans absolutely loved Havertz winning his challenge against Van de Ven, and they’ve had their say on social media.

One Arsenal fan tweeted: “Havertz’s new body is causing havoc for opposing teams. Hahaha! Van de Ven went for a ride with that body check.”

Another wrote: “Yeah, Havertz has definitely been in the gym. He put Van de Ven in the dirt.”

“Havertz’s strength on display there. Van de Ven went in for a 50/50 and ended up on the floor lol,” said another.