Arsenal face Eberechi Eze dilemma as Crystal Palace take transfer stand

Crystal Palace will not consider selling Eberechi Eze for a sum lower than the £68million release clause in the player's contract, amid interest in the midfielder from Arsenal.

The Gunners are in the market for quality attackers ahead of the new season and have identified Eze, 27, as a serious target. But with Arsenal also looking at big-money deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Rodrygo among others, it remains to be seen if they could finance a deal for Eze, too.

Eze is known to have a release clause in his contract, which still has two years left to run at Selhurst Park. But while reports elsewhere have indicated that Arsenal may attempt to sign Eze for less than £68m, Crystal Palace will not entertain any lower offers.

The FA Cup winners value Eze at the amount his release clause stands at and, as such, will resist offers that fall short of that sum.

Interestingly, the clause dictates that the £68m needs to be paid in three instalments - one third up front, another third next summer and the final payment in 2027. There have been suggestions that Arsenal are eager to finance the deal over a longer period to land a player who was on their books as a teenager.

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The Gunners are understood to have offered Real Sociedad slightly more than the specified release clause for their playmaker, Martin Zubimendi, in order to pay for the Spaniard in instalments rather than one lump sum. But Palace want fees paid for England ace Eze as per his contract.

Eze has also attracted interest from Arsenal's arch-rivals, Tottenham, following a stellar 2024-25 campaign which culminated in him scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final for the Eagles.

Arsenal are also said to be in advanced talks with Sporting Lisbon over a deal for Gyokeres, while they have their sights set on signing Rodrygo from Real Madrid.

Both of those prospective deals would command significant transfer fees in addition to the sum they have paid to extract Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, which is in excess of £50m.

Outgoings could help finance those deals plus a swoop for Eze, who is also capable of playing wide on the left and could emerge as an alternative option there if a move for Rodrygo fails to materialise before the end of next month.

Fabio Vieira is among a number of surplus players who could be sold after returning to the club following a loan spell with his old team, FC Porto.

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