In a dramatic turn of events, Arsenalsuccessfully hijacked arch-rivalTottenham’smove for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze,securing the England international in a deal worth an estimated £67.5 million to £68 million. Tottenham, after weeks of negotiations, believed they had finally reached an agreement with Palace, leaving them “seething” as Arsenal swooped in following an an injury toKai Havertz.This move saw Eze, a boyhood Gunners fan who had previously been in their academy, set for the Emirates, with Spurs reportedly now eyeing alternatives like £69m Man City winger Savinho.

Eze’s impending transfer also brought to light a remarkable prophecy from ten years ago. In April 2015, after being released by Millwall at 16 (having also been let go by Arsenal as a teenager), Eze tweeted, “I swear imma make it and when I do, they're gunna show this tweet lol.” Fans lauded him as his prediction came true. His journey saw him sign for Queens Park Rangers, where he excelled with 112 appearances, 20 goals, and 12 assists, before earning a £17 million move to Crystal Palace. There, he became one of the Premier League's most exciting attackers, and last season, he won the FA Cup, Palace's first trophy, followed by a Community Shield success and a feature in the Premier League opener against Chelsea.

Photo Credit: EUCUP

Eze’s arrival presents new tactical considerations for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who has been looking to boost attacking creativity. Eze, who contributed to 16 Premier League goals last season, offers versatility, capable of playing on the left wing, central midfield, or in the No.10 role. This could create a “selection headache” for Arteta, especially when integrating him alongside existing stars likeBukayo Saka, new £63.5 million striker Viktor Gyokeres, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and new £56 million arrival Martin Zubimendi. While playing Eze on the left wing could make sense as an upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, it is not his strongest position, having started there only three times for Palace without a goal contribution last season. However, his tendency to drift centrally could complement Gyokeres' runs.

Placing him in a central role might require benching one of Rice, Zubimendi, or Odegaard, with dropping the club captain Odegaard being a significant statement. A potential “three for all” solution could involve a tactical shift to a back three, allowing Eze to play a free central role alongside Odegaard as dual No.10s behind Gyokeres, with Saka and Noni Madueke as wing-backs. This more attacking setup, while potentially defensively vulnerable, could be balanced by a strong back three of Riccardo Calafiori, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhaes. Eze is set to be the seventh player to join Arsenal this summer, with Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, and Kepa Arrizabalaga already signed, bringing the club's spending to over £250 million.

The Eberechi Eze transfer saga also overshadowed Crystal Palace's maiden European adventure. On the day of his impending move, Eze called in “sick,” missing what would have been his swansong in Palace's Europa Conference League play-off fixture against Norwegian Cup holders Fredrikstad. Palace had qualified for the Europa League via their FA Cup triumph but were controversially relegated to the Conference League due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, which impacted former Palace minority owner John Textor (also majority owner of Lyon) and Evangelos Marinakis (owner of Nottingham Forest, who benefited from Palace's misfortune).

Photo Credit: EUCUP

Despite the absence of their key player and the “sicknote” being met with displeasure by manager Oliver Glasner and suspicion by fans, Crystal Palace secured a 1-0 victory at a “rocking, throbbing Selhurst Park,” with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring the club's first-ever European goal in the second half. The fans also protested UEFA and their multi-club ownership rules, booing the competition's anthem and chanting against Textor and Marinakis. The win provides a crucial lead for the second leg in Norway, despite Fredrikstad proving to be robust opposition, forcing Palace to miss Eze's “quick feet.”

Eze’s move highlights a recurring theme in Premier League transfers: the brutal hijack. Numerous high-profile deals have been snatched at the last minute:

• Aaron Ramsey (2008): Manchester United publicly announced an agreement with Cardiff for the then-17-year-old, but Arsene Wenger personally met Ramsey, convincing him to join Arsenal instead for less than £5 million. Ramsey went on to play 369 times for Arsenal, winning three FA Cups.

• Moises Caicedo (2023): Liverpool offered £110 million to Brighton and manager Jurgen Klopp even confirmed his impending arrival. However, Chelsea, his boyhood club, re-hijacked the deal with a £115 million bid, successfully securing the midfielder.

• Willian (2013): Tottenham had a deal wrapped up with Anzhi Makhachkala, and Willian even completed a medical with Spurs. A phone call from Chelsea’s agent, reportedly involving Roman Abramovich, saw Willian snub Tottenham and join the Blues, where he won two Premier League titles in 339 appearances. This incident is immortalized in a popular Chelsea chant.

• Robinho (2008): Destined for Chelsea from Real Madrid, with shirts already being sold, Real accepted a shock £32.5 million deadline day bid from Manchester City, who had just been taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group. Robinho, initially confused and thinking he was joining Manchester United, ended up at City.

• Roy Keane (1993): Blackburn Rovers, managed by Kenny Dalglish, agreed a record £4 million deal with Nottingham Forest and a verbal agreement with Keane. A paperwork error delayed the transfer, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson to intervene, and Keane joined Manchester United instead, becoming one of their greatest players.

• Park Chu-Young (2011): After Lille had a bid accepted by Monaco and Park was undergoing a medical, he vanished. Arsenal made a secret bid and offered a higher salary, leading Park to take a Eurostar to London for an Arsenal medical. Lille's president expressed bafflement.

• Cristiano Ronaldo (2021): After his Juventus departure, Ronaldo reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City. However, Sir Alex Ferguson personally intervened, persuading Ronaldo to return to Manchester United. City, having been outbid for players like Maguire and Fred before, withdrew their offer, paving the way for CR7's return.

• Emmanuel Petit (1997): Tottenham moved to sign the Monaco midfielder, and after talks, booked him a cab to his hotel. Petit, unaware of the rivalry, gave the driver Arsene Wenger's address instead, leading to an agreement with Arsenal, where he linked up with Wenger and vice-chairman David Dein.

• Luis Diaz (2022): Tottenham were actively pursuing the Porto winger in January, but as negotiations stalled, Liverpool gambled with a £37.5 million winter bid, leveraging their financial muscle to secure Diaz, who went on to win a Premier League title and FA Cup with the Reds.

• Eyal Berkovic (1996): Tottenham moved to sign Berkovic from Maccabi Haifa after his Southampton loan. En route to sign for Spurs, he met West Ham boss Harry Redknapp, struck a deal, and signed for the Hammers, even scoring the winner on his debut against Tottenham.

• Mykhailo Mudryk (2023): Arsenal made multiple bids for the Shakhtar Donetsk winger. However, Chelsea’s superior financial package, payment structure, and bonuses ultimately secured Mudryk, despite Arsenal's groundwork.

• Tyrell Malacia (2022): Lyon had an agreement with Feyenoord. Manchester United then intervened with a slightly better financial package and convinced the player directly, sealing the move.

• Malcolm (2018): Roma announced a deal with Bordeaux winger Malcolm. Overnight, Barcelona made a stronger late offer and unveiled him the next day, infuriating Roma fans.

• Paul Gascoigne (1988): Gazza was reportedly all set to join Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, Tottenham hijacked the deal by offering to build his family a house and provide other incentives, convincing him to sign for Spurs instead.

• Roméo Lavia (2023): Following the Caicedo saga, Liverpool pursued Lavia from Southampton. While talks progressed, Chelsea swooped in with a compelling package and personal terms, securing the midfielder for around £53 million.