Eberechi Eze was the hero at Wembley in the FA Cup Final. The England international finished off a great counterattack to sweep home what proved to be the winner, giving Crystal Palace their first major trophy.
And Eze could be returning to North London on a full-time basis next season after Arsenal have emerged as the favourites to secure his services, ahead of their North London rivals Spurs. In a massive odds shift in recent days bet365 now have him priced at 1/4 to be at the Emirates when the transfer window slams shut.
Wembley Winner Caps Superb Season for Eze
Eze has had a great season. Capable of playing out wide or centrally, the 26-year-old has operated as one of two attacking midfield players behind lone striker Jean-Phillippe Mateta in a 3-4-2-1 formation. He ended the season with 25 goal contributions, 14 goals and 11 assists, which has generated a lot of interest. Eze has a £68million release clause, which is payable in three instalments.
Back in May, Manchester City were thought to be his most likely destination, with remaining at Palace the next most likely outcome. On the 19th May the former QPR man was 7/4 to end up at Man City and 2/1 to remain at Palace. Tottenham were priced at 6/1 and Arsenal 16/1.
That has all changed with reports of contact between Arsenal and Eze’s representatives over the weekend. Let's have a look at the latest odds from bet365 on where he will be at the end of the summer transfer window.
| Club | Odds from bet365 |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | 1/4 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 4/1 |
| Crystal Palace | 5/1 |
| Manchester City | 20/1 |
| Bayern Munich | 20/1 |
| Newcastle United | 22/1 |
| Manchester United | 25/1 |
| Liverpool | 25/1 |
| Aston Villa | 33/1 |
| Chelsea | 33/1 |
Eze to Arsenal? Now You're Gunner Believe it!
The odds have tumbled on this one after it was reported by Fabrizio Romano that Arsenal had initiated talks with Eze over the weekend. Should this materialise, then he could claim the left-sided attacking berth from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
And if Arsenal’s prolonged pursuit of a quality centre-forward fails to materialise, then it would give boss Mikel Arteta more scope to play Trossard down the middle. Another option would be to use Eze as a false 9.
We think that this could well happen. However, it is not cut and dried. Arsenal have also shown interest in Hugo Ekitike and it is unlikely that the Gunners would sign both players.
Eze to Make Spurs Switch?
Tottenham have secured Champions League football next season by virtue of their Europa League win and new boss Thomas Frank looks set to be backed in the transfer market. Spurs endured a miserable league campaign last season, and they will be looking to secure European football via their league placing this time round. Eze could well favour a move to Tottenham as he could well get more minutes than he would at Arsenal. We think that this is a possibility.
Could Eze Stay at Palace?
It is by no means guaranteed that Eze will push for a move. He is clearly enjoying his football under Oliver Glasner, with the Austrian getting the best out of him. And European competition next season, along with a trophy in the cabinet, is a further incentive.
Palace proved last summer during Newcastle’s pursuit of Marc Guehi that they can be bullish when it comes to holding onto their best players. That said, Eze’s contract expires in the summer of 2027 and Palace may feel that now is the optimum time to cash in.
However, Palace’s participation in the Europa League is in doubt due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules and the European governing body has delayed their decision.
City Move Looking Less Likely
Palace’s victory over City at Wembley meant that City ended the season without a major trophy, which has not happened since Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge in 2016/17. In the weeks following the final City were favourites to land Eze, with odds of 7/4. However, the arrival of Rayan Cherki from Lyon has made this less likely to happen, with the current odds now 20/1. We think it is unlikely that the Palace midfielder will end up in Manchester before the window closes.
