It is no longer news that English midfielder Eberechi Eze is close to officially becoming an Arsenal player – a Gunner.
This move has come at the unfortunate expense of Tottenham, like a groom who has lost his bride on the eve of his wedding, are still reeling from the shock.
Spurs looked like the likely landing spot for Eze after a summer filled with speculation about his future.
In fact, Spurs already had an agreement in principle with Crystal Palace for the 27-year-old’s signature until Arsenal swooped in at the last minute and stole him from Tottenham’s grasp.
But how has this happened? This article will break down what exactly transpired with the Arsenal-Eze-Tottenham transfer saga.
Arsenal Made Their First Move In June
Arsenal did not suddenly decide to steal Eberechi Eze from their North London neighbors, according to transfer expert Ben Jacobs.
How #AFC signed Eberechi Eze, and why plenty of meetings and legwork came long before the ‘hijack’.🦅
– Arsenal made a June approach, as revealed, and a key July meeting took place between Eze, Arteta and Berta.
– Eze always wanted Arsenal, but Nwaneri’s new deal stopped a bid in…
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 21, 2025
In June, they contacted Crystal Palace regarding Eze. However, they chose not to pursue the matter further, believing it would hinder Ethan Nwaneri’s development, and they still hoped he would sign an extension.
Meanwhile, Tottenham also wanted Eze, but he was not a priority. Their first choice was Morgan Gibbs-White, who eventually went on to sign a contract extension at Nottingham Forest.
It was when James Maddison suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which will keep him out of action until the end of the season, that Spurs took their Eze pursuit seriously.
It was already reported that Eze was open to the Tottenham move, but Daniel Levy, who was directly in charge of the transfer, was pussyfooting over an agreement with Palace for weeks.
Tottenham felt they could take their time with the negotiations, as no other club had shown serious interest in Eze at the time.
They eventually agreed on a fee with Palace on Tuesday for a transfer. But by that time, Arsenal star Kai Havertz had suffered an injury.
So, Arsenal went straight back into negotiations with Crystal Palace and quickly wrapped it up.
Eberechi Eze’s Heartthrob Prevailed
With both Arsenal and Tottenham agreeing on a fee with Crystal Palace, it was up to Eberechi Eze to choose his destination.
Apparently, he has a soft spot for Arsenal. So he chose the red side of North London. He played at Arsenal academy as a kid but was released from the club when he was just 13. Moving to Arsenal was just what his heart wanted.
The deal will be announced by Arsenal soon, and Eze is expected to slot right in at the Emirates.
