Sami Mokbel reports for the Daily Mail that though Eberechi Eze’s £68m release clause expired part of the way through the summer, the clause will become active again at the end of the current campaign.
Mokbel writes that the price will remain the same, with a guaranteed £60m payment plus a further £8m due in add-ons, and Palace could also be open to negotiating a deal other than the release clause price.
The report adds that Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United were credited with an interest this summer, but the Gunners were also named as potential buyers.
Ed Aarons reported for The Guardian in July that Arsenal were believed to be among several clubs interested in Eze. The same journalist had also suggested Manchester City were in the mix.
At the time, Eze was away with England at Euro 2024, and the expectation was that one club or another would make a move after the tournament.
But it never happened, and Eze’s release clause expired, at least for the summer. Arsenal arguably had other priorities this time around.
Eze actually spent time playing for Arsenal much earlier in his career, as an academy player. The Gunners let him go at the age of 13, and he admitted in 2021 that the decision left him in tears.
The versatile Palace midfielder can also play on the wings and made 31 appearances for his current club last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting six.
He’s kicked off the new season as a starter for Palace, scoring twice in four matches, and he’s back in the England squad again this month.