Reporter: Arsenal introduced Eze into the substantive stage and will sign the left winger and center
Eze is very eager to transfer to Arsenal. Last weekend, Eze's team and Arsenal held a key meeting with senior officials in charge of signings and football. We were discussing more than just the transfer intention, but the specific terms we talked about at that meeting. Eze already knows the transfer fee Arsenal is willing to pay and the club's position on him.
The answer to the position question is: Arsenal regards him as an attacking midfielder. This means that Arsenal's goal of signing is Eze plus a left winger. This will make the Gunners very busy in the coming weeks as they also bring in a center. The position of the left winger is interesting because if Arsenal intends to pursue Rodrigo or Anthony Gordon, they may be both left wingers who can play as the main player. At that time, it may be found that Arsenal is more inclined to sell Martinelli, or even Trosad, although the club's contract renewal negotiations with Trosad are currently progressing quite smoothly. However, Eze's transfer is separate from finding the left winger. He is seen as an attacking midfielder, and he likes this position because it is where he is best at.
Arsenal is currently considering whether to make an official offer to Crystal Palace. They knew that since the players themselves were willing to join, the next step was negotiations between the clubs. I learned that Arsenal does not intend to directly activate Eze's £68 million termination clause. They tend to reach another way of dealing. Like Maizubi Mendi before, they decided to pay a slightly higher price than the termination fee in exchange for a more favorable payment structure.
And for Eze, my feeling is that Arsenal is more likely to try to make a bid below the termination fee, in the range of 55 million to 60 million pounds. Let's wait and see if Crystal Palace is willing to accept it. Moreover, the triggering mechanism of this termination clause is itself relatively complicated, similar to Olisse's previous situation.
But it may be a bit too early to say this, because the current situation is: Eze is eager to join Arsenal, and Arsenal is also eager to sign Eze. The discussion between the two sides no longer stayed in the general stage, and began to involve some financial details, and Crystal Palace was also aware of it. But as of now, there are no formal offers or negotiations between clubs, but the situation is obviously likely to change at any time.