ARSENAL were rushing to register incoming star Eberechi Eze in time for their game against Leeds tomorrow.
Eze, 27, is undergoing a medical with the Gunners today after they sensationally hijacked North London rivals Tottenham’s move for the Crystal Palace star.
ReutersEberechi Eze is undergoing his medical to sign for Arsenal today[/caption]
The Gunners have agreed a fee believed to be close to £67.5m with add-ons included for the England international.
That set the club in a race against the clock to get everything signed and sealed before 12pm in order to register Eze in time for Saturday’s game against Leeds.
Eze will need to have had all his paperwork completed and sent to the Premier League before midday in order to be eligible for Saturday’s 5:30pm kick off at the Emirates Stadium.
It is not yet known whether Arsenal have missed the deadline or submitted their paperwork in time.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the club-to-club documents are now signed and it is just a matter of Eze putting pen to paper on his contract.
The attacking midfielder was left out of Crystal Palace’s Conference League squad to face Fredrikstad last night due to illness, according to Eagles boss Oliver Glasner.
While he confirmed after their 1-0 victory over the Norwegian side that Eze would be leaving the club.
He said: “Ebs will not play for us anymore, so it does not make sense to talk about him. It’s gone.
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.
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“It looks like wishing him all the best for the new club, and for us, it is about bringing more players in, but they will not be allowed to play in the second leg.”
Arsenal will be hoping to have Eze available as soon as possible after losing Kai Havertz to a knee injury this week.
Havertz’s injury was a big part of what forced them back into the market to sign Eze after seemingly going cold on the deal after heavy spending earlier in the window.
Arsenal fans will be wanting to catch a glimpse of their new big-money arrival, who is rejoining the club after being released from their academy as a 13-year-old.
Supporters have unbelievably already painted a mural of Eze on a wall outside the Emirates.
Should Arsenal miss the deadline or deem Eze not to be ready to play against Leeds, it is likely that their new addition would make his debut next weekend in a huge clash with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, August 31.
PAA mural of Eze has already appeared outside the Emirates Stadium[/caption]
Three ways Arsenal could line-up with Eze
ARSENAL have been crying out for attacking creativity as they’ve fallen agonisingly short of the title in the past three seasons.
But there is no doubt that Eze will add that in abundance – having had a hand in 16 Premier League goals last term.
Eze certainly solves that problem, but he does present a different one: Where will he play?
With Bukayo Saka on the right and new £63.5million striker Viktor Gyokeres signed to be a dominant presence in the middle, Arsenal’s biggest weakness would appear to be the left wing.
Eze can play there, but isn’t his strongest position by any stretch.
While playing him in his preferred central role would mean Arteta would be forced to sacrifice one of his other big-name stars.
Here SunSport breaks down three potential starting XIs that Arteta could use to fit Eze into his system…
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