Eberechi Eze is set to feature in Crystal Palace's starting XI against Chelsea in their Premier League opening match, despite ongoing transfer negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur. The England international's inclusion comes amidst strong interest from Tottenham, who are looking to bolster their attacking options.
Spurs' pursuit of the 27-year-old has intensified recently, particularly after James Maddison sustained a serious knee injury and Son Heung-min's departure. Tottenham are eager to add creativity to their squad and can offer Eze Champions League football. Initially, it was suggested that Eze would be dropped from the Palace squad for the Chelsea game, but he has since been reinstated into Oliver Glasner's team. Glasner stated that he expected both Eze and Marc Guéhi to start against Chelsea, noting that both players had trained well during the week.
While there is no definitive agreement yet between Tottenham and Crystal Palace, negotiations are still in progress. Tottenham reportedly value Eze at around £55 million. Eze's release clause of £67.5m expired recently, and there are indications that the final transfer fee might be around £55 million plus add-ons, potentially even falling under £55 million. Crystal Palace are looking for a significant portion of the guaranteed money to be paid upfront if they agree to sell Eze.
Arsenal had also expressed interest in Eze, but they have hesitated to make a bid. Mikel Arteta has options in attacking midfield and Arsenal have been keen to sell fringe players before making a bid.
Crystal Palace are considering potential replacements for Eze, with Leicester's Bilal El Khannouss and Club Brugge's Christos Tzolis being mentioned as possible targets.
Eze joined Crystal Palace from QPR in 2020 for a fee of £19.5m. QPR are entitled to 15% of any profit Palace makes from his sale.
In addition to Eze, Crystal Palace may also lose Marc Guéhi, with Liverpool reportedly interested in the England defender. Guéhi's contract expires next year, and he has no intention of extending it before then.
