ARSENAL have confirmed the £67.5million signing of Eberechi Eze.
The England international completed a medical today and has agreed a four-year deal.
Shutterstock EditorialEberechi Eze was unveiled ahead of the Leeds match[/caption]
ReutersHe looked in awe of the Emirates crowd[/caption]
GettyThe Gunners pipped rivals Tottenham to his signature[/caption]
GettyArsenal have confirmed the signing of Eze[/caption]
ReutersFans have already got their hands on Eze merch[/caption]
The Gunners will pay a guaranteed £60m plus £7.5m in add-ons.
In a statement, the club said: “Eberechi Eze is our seventh men’s team signing of the summer, and is a player we have admired and followed for some time.
“Eberechi has joined on a four-year contract (with the option of a further year) for a fee of £60million plus add-ons. He will wear our No.10 shirt.
“His creativity adds another dimension to our attacking options and his versatility means he is a player who can operate either on the left, the right, or centrally.
“He has fantastic football intelligence and an ability to see openings and passes many other players cannot see.
“We also know that his character and charisma on and off the pitch will help him fit in well, and he is a player with whom our supporters will really connect.
“He comes with a huge amount of Premier League experience and, in signing him, we are adding another England international to our core of players.
“During his time with Crystal Palace, he repeatedly showed what he is capable of and his determination to make his career in football has been very impressive.
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“Eberechi’s desire to join Arsenal was evident from our first conversation with him, he was an Arsenal supporter as a young boy, and we love how much it means to him and his family that he is joining our club.
Inside Eze’s love for Arsenal
EBERECHI EZE’s dramatic move to Arsenal is more than a transfer; it’s a homecoming.
The player’s long-standing love for the Gunners made him choose them over arch-rivals Tottenham. Eze’s journey began in Arsenal’s Hale End academy, but he was released at the age of 13. He has openly admitted that he cried for a week after being let go.
Despite this setback, his passion for the club never waned. In past interviews, Eze declared Arsenal his favorite team, citing his childhood admiration for Thierry Henry as the reason he initially joined their academy.
Now, over a decade later, he returns to the Emirates not as a hopeful academy prospect, but as a proven Premier League star, fulfilling a dream and adding a compelling narrative to a fierce north London rivalry.
Read more on Eze’s love of Arsenal.
“We are always open to the market and when the opportunity arose to sign Eberechi, we moved quickly to get a deal done.
“The uncertainty around the length of Kai’s absence was a contributing factor, but not the primary reason.
“Stan and Josh, together with Andrea and the Board have worked closely throughout the summer, with Stan and Josh very close to all details, signing off all activities. Josh was in our group which travelled to the PFA Awards in Manchester on Tuesday and at our match against Leeds United on Saturday.”
Eze looked certain to be joining Spurs before Arsenal hijacked the deal.
The England star issued a heart-felt goodbye message to Crystal Palace after completing his move to Arsenal.
Ez, had five seasons at Palace which he capped last season by firing them to an FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City.
The playmaker wrote: “Five years, man. Crazy. It feels like just yesterday I was walking through the doors joining from QPR.
“The day you gave me the chance to realise my dream of playing in the Premier League, for South London’s biggest club.
“From the start, I had goals set and my targets in place for what I wanted to achieve here at Palace but I had no idea of what these last 5 years would really turn out to be.
“They call us a family club because it’s impossible to truly understand what it’s like to be part of this club unless you’re in it.
“They’re not wrong. Throughout the challenges of the Covid times, from the day I tore my achilles and the long road of recovery to that night at Selhurst against Villa when I came back, up until this very day, the love you have all shown me, the way you have all supported me, and how we’ve stood together, no matter what, these are things that will live in my heart forever.”
Eze scored the only goal of the game in May’s FA Cup final, landing the Eagles their first-ever major trophy.
The 11-cap Three Lions star continued: “And that’s all before we made history together, lol. Wembley, man.
“The whole journey. Words aren’t enough to describe what we all experienced that day so I’m not gunna try, but what I will say is that God did something for us that will connect us for generations.
“The most special day of my career because God gave us what no one thought was possible for us!
“So after all of this, all I really want to say is thank you. Thank you for believing in me, thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for the love shared that will last a lifetime.
“Up the Palace. God bless, Ebz.”
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