Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a major blow to their hopes of signing Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old winger was heavily linked with an exit from Crystal Palace in the summer, but a move failed to materialise.
Eze, who sees his contract at Selhurst Park expire in June 2027, featured 27 times in the Premier League last season, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists. Playing a key role in Oliver Glasner’s side, he helped the Eagles pip their rivals, Brighton, to a top-half finish in the Premier League.
After catching Gareth Southgate’s eye, Eze was called up to the England squad for the European championships. Despite losing his right-hand man, Michael Olise, to Bayern Munich, the Three Lions international has picked up from where he left off last term.
As a result, he’s now attracted interest from Old Trafford, according to the Manchester Evening News. The report states that Eze, whose £68m release clause will activate next year, is among several players that the Red Devils are monitoring as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his options in the wing.
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The Manchester Evening News adds that Manchester United also want to sign a defender and a midfielder. Nevertheless, in an interview with Sky Sports, Steve Parish revealed he was surprised by the lack of interest in Eze during the summer transfer window.
“I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael and Ebbs in the same window and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have,” said the Eagles’ chairman. “I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.”
Parish added: “We’re proud of the fact that Michael Olise’s gone to Bayern Munich. We want to be selling to the top clubs, or to clubs like Newcastle who’ve got great aspirations and have recently been in the Champions League. So we have to manage all of those things. We won’t get really great young talent to come to us if they think they’re going to be stuck.”
Desperate to keep hold of Eze, and Palace’s other exciting players, Parish targeted Champions League qualification. He said: “We want to be playing in the Champions League. The reality is we don’t right now. That’s what players want to achieve in their career and we respect that and we respect the fact that sometimes we’re going to be a pathway to that.”
