Arsenal are setting their sights on Eberechi Eze as one more summer signing after Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, and Cristhian Mosquera, according to a report.
Simon Jones reports for the Daily Mail that Eberechi Eze remains a target for Arsenal this summer, despite the Gunners closing in on the signatures of three more players this week.
Arsenal have already signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, and Christian Norgaard this summer, and the club are hoping to close deals for Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, and Cristhian Mosquera before travelling to Asia on Saturday.
That would bring the club to six summer signings and £187.5m in guaranteed fees, with another ~£18m in potential add-ons to take the spending over the £200m mark.
Even so, the Mail claim Arsenal are eyeing up Eze as their next target, still interested despite all the business they’ve already done. Fabrizio Romano adds that the Gunners remain in contact with the player’s camp, hoping to do a deal later in the window.
Various reliable outlets have confirmed that the Gunners’ pursuit of Eze is independent of their move for Madueke, and the player is keen to make the switch back to north London this summer.
The biggest stumbling block is likely to be the price, with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish reportedly unlikely to consider any offers below the player’s release clause of £60m plus £8m in add-ons.
Arsenal want to pay less than that, and previous reports have suggested the Gunners are preparing to make an approach to Palace to discuss a potential move below the clause.
Whether sporting director Andrea Berta succeeds or fails at bringing the price down, Arsenal will need to make some sales either way.
Primarily because the club can’t just keep spending without bringing any money in, but also because they’re set to surpass the squad limit of 25 players this week. Madueke, Gyokeres, and Mosquera would take the senior squad to 26.
So if Arsenal want to add Eze before the start of the new campaign, they need to get working on outgoings.