Arsenal’s hopes of signing Crystal Palace’s sought-after playmaker, Eberechi Eze, have been dealt a major blow as the club is reportedly poised to miss the deadline to trigger his release clause.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with the England international, but their plans were theoretically simplified by the presence of a release clause in his contract. This clause would force Palace to accept a bid worth £60 million guaranteed, plus an additional £7.5 million in add-ons.
However, according to BBC Sport, this buy-out clause expires “two weeks before the start of the new season.” With the Premier League campaign kicking off in mid-August, that deadline is today, Friday, August 1. It appears highly unlikely that Arsenal will stump up the cash in time.
Arsenal were thought to value Eze at less than his release clause and were hoping to negotiate a lower fee with Palace. This hesitation now looks costly.
The situation is further complicated by comments from Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who has issued a hands-off warning. Glasner recently lamented the small size of his squad, stating, “I have 17 outfield players. I hope we don’t lose any more.” His frustration at a lack of incoming transfers makes a sale of his star player even less probable once the release clause expires.
With the deal for Eze now looking increasingly difficult, Arsenal may be forced to turn their attention back to other targets, such as Real Madrid forward Rodrygo. But for now, their window of opportunity to sign Eze for a fixed price is closing rapidly, and the highly anticipated transfer is in serious doubt.