Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze transfer could be problem for team-mate who sparked deal

Arsenal are on the brink of signing Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, with the forward set to snub Tottenham and join the Gunners – but the transfer may be bad news for one man

Arsenal have pipped their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the post in securing the signature of Eberechi Eze, with the forward set to become a Gunner in the coming days.

However, this transfer could spell trouble for Kai Havertz, as Arsenal’s decision to swoop for Eze came on the back of the German suffering a knee injury. The Gunners had shown interest in their former academy player Eze earlier this summer, following his dazzling performances in the Premier League last season.

Initially, Arsenal stepped back, allowing Tottenham to make their move and edge closer to a deal. But just when it seemed like Eze was Spurs-bound, Arsenal swooped in with a hefty £67.5million bid. It seems the allure of joining his childhood club was too strong for Eze to resist, leaving Tottenham and their fans red-faced.

Havertz made a 30-minute cameo off the bench as Arsenal triumphed over Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Sunday. However, he was noticeably absent from an open training session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, coinciding with news of Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze making headlines.

Eze, who can operate on either wing but excels as a No. 10, could pose a direct threat to Havertz’s playing time once the German international recovers from his injury, reports the Express.

The former QPR player appears to offer a more potent threat than Havertz in the final third of the pitch. Opta stats reveal that Eze outshot Havertz in the Premier League last season, firing off 61 shots to Havertz’s 44. The Palace player also had more on target with 29 compared to Havertz’s 21.

Eze proved to be a more creative force than Havertz, crafting 50 chances for his Palace colleagues, while Havertz only set up 14 goalscoring opportunities.

Although Havertz netted one more goal in the Premier League than Eze – nine versus eight – the Palace star provided five more assists and made 141 more accurate passes in the opposition half. These figures might just sway Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to give Eze the nod over Havertz in future line-ups.

Eze was an unexpected name on the Palace team sheet for their Premier League opener against Chelsea on Sunday, despite rumours of a move to Tottenham. He managed to find the back of the net with a free-kick in the first half, but it was disallowed due to a foul by Marc Guehi.

Eze was then absent from the squad for the Eagles’ UEFA Conference League play-off match against Fredrikstad on Thursday evening, fuelling speculation about his imminent transfer to the Emirates.