Eberechi Eze has admitted he was prepared to move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but only up until Arsenal came in for him.
One of the major transfer sagas of the summer surrounded the future of Eberechi Eze. Despite initial reports of interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the midfielder spent a long time waiting for a formal offer to be made.
When that concrete interest eventually arrived, it was from Spurs, with Arsenal’s north London rivals reeling from the loss of James Maddison.
For at least a few days, it looked like Eze really would sign for Tottenham, but negotiations dragged on a bit. Then Arsenal entered the race and quickly wrapped up a deal.
Speaking at an event this week, Eze admitted that he was considering the Spurs move, but only until the Gunners officially entered the race.
“I was prepared to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them,” Eze said (via The Athletic). “My first (senior) Arsenal game was special. It almost didn’t feel real because it’s something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.
“Playing for Arsenal from eight to 13, it’s been in the back of my mind wanting to go back. It felt like the realisation of a dream.”
Eze has made a solid start to life at Arsenal, scoring once and assisting three times in his first 10 appearances. More importantly, the Gunners have won all but two of those matches to sit top of the Premier League with a 100% record in the Champions League.
There will be inevitable comparisons with Xavi Simons, who was Spurs’ second choice after failing to sign Eze. But the Dutch international has just one assist and no goals in his first nine matches for Tottenham, who are sixth in the league with just one win from three in Europe.
The Eze summer transfer saga will certainly add an extra element of spice to the north London derby next month.