Palace boss wishes Eze 'all the best' ahead of expected Arsenal move

Oliver Glasner all but confirmed that Eberechi Eze is leaving Crystal Palace, wishing the attacking midfielder "all the best for his new club" ahead of an expected transfer to Arsenal.

The Gunners have reached an agreement to sign Eze for over £60 million, beating out local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to his signature, reports transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

Eze was omitted from Palace's squad for Thursday's 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the Conference League playoffs. The 27-year-old was initially expected to play before undergoing a medical with Arsenal. However, Palace manager Glasner revealed to supporters outside Selhurst Park that Eze wouldn't feature in the game.

"Honestly, I expected that he would start today for us, but he called me this morning and said that he doesn't feel well to play in the evening," Glasner explained, according to the Associated Press.

After the match, the Austrian tactician conceded that Eze will likely not play for the Eagles again.

Eze will become Arsenal's seventh signing of a busy summer, the club's first under new sporting director Andrea Berta. Arsenal matched the financial package offered by Spurs, and Eze, a boyhood Arsenal fan who played for the club's academy, reportedly made the final decision on which of the north London teams he preferred to join.

Arsenal's accelerated move for Eze came after the team learned of an injury to Kai Havertz. The German forward will reportedly miss time with a knee issue, which spurred the title hopefuls back into action in the transfer market.

Eze has made 169 appearances for Crystal Palace since his transfer from Queens Park Rangers in 2020, scoring 40 goals.

His potential arrival would give Mikel Arteta another creative playmaker who can operate in multiple positions.

Though most comfortable as a No. 10, Eze will likely slot into Arsenal's lineup as a left-sided attacker, further strengthening a positional group that already includes Gabriel Martinelli and summer signing Noni Madueke.