How Arsenal actually hijacked Eberechi Eze transfer after Tottenham ‘reached a full agreement’
Thomas Frank will still be reeling after Wednesday’s dramatic Eberechi Eze transfer reversal.
Tottenham had agreed a deal in principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eze, but were still waiting for the England international to be granted permission to undergo a medical.
But on Wednesday, 20 August, Arsenal entered negotiations and quickly secured Eze’s commitment, taking away Spurs’ hopes of signing the 27-year-old within hours.
Decision-makers at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have since moved on to other targets, as they look to cope with the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, who will be out until next year.
Kai Havertz injury encouraged Arsenal to enter Eberechi Eze race
It has been no secret that Eze would move to Arsenal if given the chance this summer.
The midfielder is a publicly-admitted fan of the Gunners and spent time at the Hale End Academy before he was released aged 13.
But Spurs eyed an opportunity to sign the England international when Arsenal looked to have ruled out a move, having already spent around £200million on six players.
| Available Tottenham midfielders | Role |
| Joao Palhinha | Defensive |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | Central |
| Yves Bissouma | Defensive |
| Lucas Bergvall | Central |
| Pape Matar Sarr | Central |
A deal took time but was eventually fully agreed with both Palace and Eze, who was willing to accept a move to Tottenham if Arsenal were off the table.
Ben Jacobs reported on 21 August that it was an injury to striker Kai Havertz that changed everything, however.
The German picked up a knee injury in the latter stages of Arsenal’s opening day clash against Manchester United, and the Gunners’ concern saw them spring into action.
A deal similar to the one Spurs had lined up was agreed in hours with Palace, and Eze leapt at the chance to join the club that he always wanted.
Spurs must learn lessons from Eberechi Eze saga
Daniel Levy and his transfer team will be licking their wounds after the brutal way in which Eze has been stolen away from Spurs.
But there are key lessons to learn from the way this situation has played out. One month ago, Havertz was not injured, and Eze had a £68m release clause ready to be triggered by any club willing.
Even a week ago, Spurs could have put their foot down and accelerated their move for the midfielder.
Instead, they waited and allowed the situation to develop out of their hands. Now, they must act in response and ensure such a saga does not repeat itself.
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