Report: Palace Eye Arsenal Players During Eze Exit Negotiations | OneFootball

Crystal Palace Eye Arsenal Talent in Eze Negotiations

Palace Prepare for Life After Eze

According to an exclusive report from GiveMeSport, Crystal Palace are exploring the possibility of signing an Arsenal player as part of broader discussions surrounding Eberechi Eze’s expected move to The Emirates this summer.

Fresh off an historic FA Cup triumph — Palace’s first-ever major trophy — the Eagles are bracing themselves for significant change ahead of their maiden campaign in European football. The talismanic Eze, who scored the winning goal at Wembley, appears destined for a big move, with Arsenal leading the charge.

Eze has a £60 million release clause in his contract, payable in three instalments, which could rise to £68 million with add-ons. The report suggests he is keen on the move to Arsenal, giving the Gunners strong leverage. However, Mikel Arteta’s side would prefer to negotiate a fee lower than the full release clause.

Photo: IMAGO

Potential Deal-Making Opportunity for Palace

While any move would not be structured as a formal swap, Palace are reportedly exploring whether a separate negotiation could bring an Arsenal player to Selhurst Park. According to GiveMeSport, “Palace are hopeful that if they play ball regarding Eze’s transfer that they could bring in someone in the opposite direction on favourable terms also.”

Arsenal’s summer business has already seen them secure Kepa Arrizabalaga and close in on deals for Christian Nørgaard and Martín Zubimendi. With the club’s transfer strategy evolving rapidly, it’s likely that several fringe players will become surplus to requirements — creating potential opportunities for Palace.

Who Could Be on Palace’s Radar?

Palace’s recent history of doing business with Arsenal is encouraging. Eddie Nketiah joined for £30 million last summer, while Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga also made the short journey from north to south London in previous windows. That relationship could prove vital if Glasner and his recruitment team wish to extract added value from the Eze exit.

It’s plausible that players like Takehiro Tomiyasu, Reiss Nelson or even Fábio Vieira could come into the conversation — though GiveMeSport stops short of naming specific targets.

As the report points out, “the Eagles are keen to understand if there is anyone at the Emirates Stadium that could become useful to them for next season” and will try to align these ambitions during talks around Eze.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

Losing Eberechi Eze would be a bitter pill to swallow for any Palace fan, particularly after a season in which he helped deliver our first-ever major silverware. The thought of watching him shine for Arsenal is hard to stomach — but if his heart is set on a move, then Palace must act smartly.

The fact that the board are already looking at how to leverage this deal is encouraging. We can’t stop a top-six club from activating a release clause, but we can ensure we’re left stronger by bringing in talent that fits Oliver Glasner’s system.

Eze deserves his shot at the Champions League, and if this deal is handled correctly, Palace can step into the new season with both momentum and smart reinforcements.