Eze heads to Arsenal in club record deal

Eberechi Eze moves toward a club record transfer to Arsenal, signaling a major shift for Crystal Palace.

Oliver Glasner pays classy tribute to Eberechi Eze ahead of £67.5m Arsenal transfer

Oliver Glasner has publicly praised Eberechi Eze as Arsenal close in on a £67.5m move, with the transfer described as a club-record sale for Crystal Palace. Eze reportedly underwent his Arsenal medical yesterday, and the England midfielder was present at Selhurst Park for a farewell he did not play in. Glasner refused to dwell on the exit, saying Eze remains a Palace player for now, while noting the importance of the moments that defined his time with the team.

Glasner also underscored the difficulty of finding a like-for-like replacement. He argued the squad will need a different profile who can drive forward the team, rather than a simple clone of Eze. Palace have brought in Romain Esse in January and Ismaila Sarr this summer, but Glasner warned that Esse is not yet ready for a steady Premier League role and that the club must adapt with more than one new piece. He warned that losing two top attackers could quickly push the team in the wrong direction without careful recruitment and tactical tweaks.

The deal highlights the tightening drift of the Premier League market, where mid-table clubs face pressure to monetize talent. Palace must balance the loss of a creative architect with the need to remain competitive, while Arsenal signals ambition by paying a club-record fee. Glasner frames the challenge as a strategic one, not a one-season pivot, arguing that the club needs a forward driver rather than a direct replacement. The situation may reshape how Palace approaches contracts, scouting, and succession planning in a crowded league.

Highlights

What comes next for Palace will test its balance of ambition, budget, and belief.