Arsenal "Intercepts" Rival, Eze’s Childhood Dream Comes True

By Han Bing For Arsenal supporters, there is nothing more exciting than "snatching" a target away from their arch-rivals Tottenham. On Wednesday night UK time, Arsenal struck a deal worth £60 million plus £8 million with Crystal Palace to acquire forward Eze, the very player Tottenham had chased for 10 days. Tottenham offered £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons, which seemed settled, but Arsenal increased their bid by £5 million and offered easier-to-meet add-ons, leading Crystal Palace to accept Arsenal’s offer.

As news broke of Arsenal "stealing" a target from their rivals, a graffiti portrait of Eze wearing an Arsenal jersey immediately appeared on the tunnel wall near the Emirates Stadium—an honor not given to every new signing. Last year, Eze was named in England’s Euro 2024 squad, and as a product of the small London club Crystal Palace, his hometown Bermondsey in South London saw its first graffiti portrait of him, which deeply moved Eze.

The direct reason Arsenal intercepted Tottenham’s target was due to injuries. After the Premier League’s first round, Havertz suffered a knee injury, and Jesus was still recovering from a serious ACL tear. Arsenal only had one healthy striker, new signing Yokaleish. Senior executives Lewis, General Manager Carrick, Sporting Director Berta, and coach Arteta held an emergency meeting to find a new forward, targeting Eze, which was approved by American owner Kroenke. Kroenke, attending the Players’ Association awards, made the decision quickly.

In fact, Berta and Arteta had contacted Eze back in July. At that time, Arsenal worried about losing England U21 international Nwaneri and hoped to use Eze as a replacement. However, after Nwaneri extended his contract and Palace rejected the offer, the deal was put on hold.

Tottenham was Eze’s primary suitor and even proposed including Brazilian international Richarlison in the deal to solve Crystal Palace’s problem of finding a replacement.

However, on August 10, Arsenal executive Lewis called Crystal Palace to inquire about the price and again that afternoon called Parish to confirm they would meet Palace’s asking price. With just one sentence, Tottenham’s 10-day effort was completely defeated. This North London "transfer derby" was decided within seconds.

Of course, beyond the higher offer, the decisive factor in Arsenal’s last-minute success was Eze himself.

Eze, of Nigerian Igbo descent, was born in South London and has been an Arsenal fan since childhood. At eight years old, he joined Arsenal’s youth academy, fulfilling his childhood dream: Arsenal was his dream team. At that time, Wenger was still manager, and his favorite player Henry was still playing at the Emirates. The first jersey Eze received was the classic Henry shirt with the number 02 and front sponsor. Nearly 20 years later, Eze’s parents still cherish that jersey.

Five years later, at 13, Eze was released from Arsenal’s academy. He cried alone in his bedroom for a week. In a recent interview, he still harbors resentment: "All my friends stayed, I was one of the few let go. It was part of my identity, and it hit me hard." Notably, after joining Fulham’s academy, Eze became an opponent of Arsenal. When players shook hands before matches, Eze would cry again.

Eze’s agency CAABase has had a close and long-standing relationship with Tottenham, and Tottenham tried to leverage this to salvage the deal. But for Eze, the choice was never about weekly wages, but about reclaiming his identity. Eze has also proven himself again—£60 million makes him Arsenal’s most expensive signing this summer, surpassing Yokaleish. If all add-ons are met, he will surpass Manchester United’s Sheshko, ranking third highest in summer transfer fees.

Eze has realized his childhood dream and is set to undergo a medical on Friday to officially join; Arsenal has shifted their transfer strategy and gained a double guarantee in attack. Amid mutual satisfaction from both sides, only the "intercepted" Tottenham quietly suffers the disappointment.