Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze appeared to be moving closer to a transfer to Arsenal for a reported ￡60 million (US$81 million) after the England international was left out of the Eagles’ team for their European tie on Thursday.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner said he did not expect Eze to play for Palace again after their 1-0 first leg UEFA Conference League playoff win at home to Fredrikstad.
“Today he called me that he doesn’t feel well and can’t play in the evening, and that’s why he didn’t play,” Glasner said.
Photo: AP
When asked if he believed Eze would play for Palace again, Glasner replied with a simple “No.”
The 27-year-old attacking midfielder might now miss out on a final farewell to the Selhurst Park faithful for whom he is a hero after scoring the winning goal in Palace’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London in May — the first time the south London club had lifted a major trophy.
Tottenham Hotspur appeared to be on course to sign Eze during the ongoing summer transfer window, but that deal seems to have been scuppered by their archrivals Arsenal.
Were Eze, released by Arsenal as a 13-year-old, to join the Gunners he would become their seventh signing of the window and take their spending in this transfer period to beyond ￡250 million, with striker Viktor Gyokeres and midfielder Martin Zubimendi among those to have already made high-profile moves to the Emirates.
The Gunners’ interest in Eze intensified this week following a knee injury suffered by Kai Havertz.
The Germany international came on as a second-half substitute in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in their opening English Premier League game of the new season last weekend and completed the match, but he did not feature in the club’s open training session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
It is unclear how long Havertz would be on the sidelines, but Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta appears keen to strengthen his squad regardless as he bids to lead the Gunners to their first Premier League title in 22 years, having finished runners-up to Liverpool last season.
Spurs, by contrast, ended the campaign in a lowly 17th place, although they did win the UEFA Europa League final.
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