Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, with the club preparing an offer worth around $76m (£60m) for the England international, Sporting News understands.
The Gunners’ North London rivals Tottenham are also in the race and have held advanced talks with Palace in recent days, but Mikel Arteta’s are pushing strongly as manager they look to bolster their attacking options.
Concerns over Kai Havertz’s knee injury in the past 48 hours have prompted the Gunners to move for Eze, 27, who is viewed as a versatile option across the forward line.
Eze, who has made it clear he would favour a move to Arsenal before the transfer deadline on September 1, has just seen his release clause expire.
That clause was previously set at $76m (£60m) with a further $10m (£8m) in performance-related bonuses.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed on Wednesday that Eze will feature in Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off clash with Fredrikstad, alongside Marc Guehi, who is attracting interest from Liverpool. Glasner insisted both players remain “committed to the team” despite transfer speculation.
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The former QPR man was instrumental for Palace last season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions and netting the decisive strike in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
Signed for $25m (£19.5m) in 2020, Eze is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2027, but Arsenal are now closing in on a deal.
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