Weapon stolen from Tottenham will become part of the rival’s arsenal

It may sound like a cliché, but when we say the transfer market is a living thing, it truly is. Situations, wishes, ideas, and plans can change from day to day, sometimes even hour to hour. And on the evening of September 20, the calm in England was shattered by a major London heist – Eberechi Eze is not going to Tottenham, but to Arsenal!

At the New White Hart Lane, they believed after meetings between chairman Daniel Levy and Crystal Palace’s top man that everything was agreed. They had a verbal understanding both with Selhurst Park and with the England international himself.

But then, a title contender, a city rival, and an arch-enemy came onto the scene and ruined everything. Arsenal took advantage of the fact that Palace didn’t want to release Eze before tonight’s Conference League playoff clash against Fredrikstad, offering a package worth up to 79 million euros with bonuses – the same figure as the release clause that had only recently expired in Eze’s contract. Palace gave the green light, and Arsenal are now finalizing contract details with the 27-year-old attacker, reports David Ornstein.

Arsenal had shown interest in Eze back in July before going quiet, only to be pushed back into action yesterday by Kai Havertz’s injury, which convinced them to go for another blockbuster signing this summer.

After Viktor Gyokeres, Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, his namesake Norgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga, Arsenal’s total spending will hit 300 million euros with Eze – setting a new club record for a single transfer window.

After this summer’s shopping spree, which on paper deserves a 10/10 rating, Mikel Arteta will have no excuses if he doesn’t win the league title. And it’s not impossible that in the final 10 days before the window closes, one of the forwards could leave the Emirates.

Eze is expected to undergo his medical after the Fredrikstad game, his last appearance for Crystal Palace. He leaves behind a big legacy at Selhurst Park, having been one of the key players in winning the FA Cup – the first trophy in the club’s history. Across four seasons, he played 169 matches, scoring 40 goals and providing 28 assists.

Credit for pulling off the heist and snatching Eze from under Spurs’ nose goes to Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis. Berta, formerly Atletico Madrid’s chief operator, has had his hands full since arriving in London, but so far, he’s doing the job flawlessly.