Arsenal Swoops In to Steal Rival's Target, Player Already Scheduled for Medical

Arsenal are poised to secure Eberechi Eze's signature, beating north London neighbors Tottenham Hotspur after dramatically increasing their pursuit of the Crystal Palace forward on Wednesday.

Despite Eze featuring for Palace in their opening fixture against Chelsea on Sunday, the transfer appeared destined for completion with Tottenham.

Spurs had permitted a £68 million ($91.5 million) buyout clause to lapse but remained optimistic about negotiating a deal beginning at a guaranteed £55 million that could ultimately reach comparable figures with performance-related bonuses included. Eze was reportedly "receptive" to joining the club.

However, circumstances have dramatically shifted with fewer than two weeks remaining in the transfer window.

The Athletic first revealed that Spurs had secured a provisional agreement with Palace earlier Wednesday, with terms also settled with Eze. However, the Eagles delayed finalizing arrangements due to their desire for the England star to feature in Thursday evening's UEFA Conference League qualifier.

This apparently created an opportunity for Arsenal, which the Gunners seized completely. Mikel Arteta's team reportedly expressed their readiness to satisfy the transfer requirements and, with Eze preferring to join them, successfully displaced Spurs from contention. The circumstances rapidly evolved from that point, with additional reporting from The Athletic confirming that Arsenal have secured an agreement in principle for a deal valued "around" the £68 million expired buyout clause.

A Gunners medical examination will follow what will be Eze's concluding Palace appearance against Fredrikstad on Thursday.

Eze functions as a wide player or attacking midfielder, with Arsenal's pursuit independent of a newly reported intention to seek a reserve striker following Kai Havertz's latest injury setback.

Eze was an Arsenal supporter during his youth and participated in the club's academy system until age 13. He subsequently had periods at Reading, Fulham and Millwall, but Queens Park Rangers provided his breakthrough opportunity, securing his first professional deal at 18 after a successful trial period. QPR secured a 15% sell-on percentage when the player transferred to Palace in 2020, guaranteeing them a portion of any profit.