Tottenham offered player who cost them £60 million as part of deal to beat Arsenal in race to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace: Reports

Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur reportedly offered forward Richarlison to beat archrivals Arsenal in the race to sign star playmaker Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Although they held concrete talks with the 27-year-old's entourage and the Eagles, they are now set to miss out on his signature.

According to multiple reports, the Gunners have hijacked their move for Eze at the eleventh hour. They have supposedly agreed a deal worth £60 million plus £7.5 million in add-ons.

After missing out on the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, Tottenham had turned their attention to Eze. The Daily Mail reports that they had initially tried to agree a deal worth £55 million plus add-ons with Palace for their prized asset.

The report further claims that Richarlison, who was signed from Everton for a whopping £60 million in July 2022, was included in the deal to help get it over the line. However, Arsenal's late swoop and Eze's preference to join Mikel Arteta's project meant that the deal between Palace and Spurs collapsed.

Tottenham are believed to be 'dismayed' after this sequence of events. However, they supposedly believe they played all their cards and could not do much more to sign the Englishman ahead of their North London rivals.

Eze is set to play his final game for the Eagles in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off fixture against Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park on Thursday (August 21). He will undergo his medical at the Emirates on Friday, with the official announcement of the transfer likely to follow soon after.

"It's a shambles" - Former Tottenham Hotspur star vents frustration on social media over Arsenal's Eberechi Eze hijack

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega was enraged after Arsenal beat his former side to the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

A natural playmaker, the Englishman has racked up 40 goals and 28 assists in 169 games across all competitions for the Eagles. His consistent performances have caught everyone's attention, with multiple top European sides clamouring to acquire his services this summer.

Even though Spurs were believed to be the favourites to land his signature, Mikel Arteta's side are set to add Eze to their squad after a last-minute hijack. Vega, who made 81 appearances for the Lilywhites between 1997 and 2001, was left furious by the situation.

Taking to X to vent his frustration, he wrote (via Inside Futbol):

"If this (Eze to Arsenal) is happening, I do hope not! Then I’m sorry; it’s a shambles again for not getting this over the line for a few million more."

In a follow-up post, Vega added:

"Why are we (Tottenham) trying to become the laughing stock of the town again? I hoped that after our positive first win in the Premier League campaign (3-0 vs Burnley), we would build a bigger squad to compete in all competitions this season! Let's hope they're still doing it."

With 10 days left in the transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur have very limited time to strengthen their squad ahead of Thomas Frank's first season at the club.

About the author

Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.

A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.

Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.

When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.

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Edited by Aaryan Nagraj