The name on everybody’s lips is Eberechi Eze, and rightly so. Arsenal are closing in on a move for the England international after seemingly hijacking his transfer out of nowhere. On Wednesday evening, August 20, news broke that Arsenal were planning to hijack Tottenham’s move for Eze and within hours, a verbal agreement had been struck, followed by the famous “here we go” on his switch to North London. For many supporters, it was a pleasant surprise. A player Arsenal had courted all summer, who looked destined to join their rivals, will now become a Gunner.
Arsenal’s ruthless coup appeared to come out of the blue, but a recent report has revealed that the club had been laying the groundwork earlier this month. According to the Mirror, sporting director Andrea Berta actually thrashed out the terms of the deal as early as August 10. This was reportedly kept under wraps while the narrative that Arsenal needed to sell before buying was pushed to disguise their approach. Signing an out-and-out left winger had initially taken priority, so the Eze move was temporarily put on hold. This gave Tottenham the chance to make their move, and they agreed a deal worth £50 million plus £10 million in add-ons. However, Kai Havertz’s unfortunate knee injury changed everything, prompting Arsenal to step in and sensationally hijack the transfer. Per the same report, Arsenal will now pay £60 million plus £7.5 million in add-ons.
