Gutting Reason Why Tottenham Deal for Eze Was Delayed Before Arsenal Hijack

Alasdair Gold says Tottenham have suffered ‘another public embarrassment’ following Arsenal’s hijack of their pursuit of Eberechi Eze on Wednesday.

The Crystal Palace star is now close to joining the Gunners for £68m in a dramatic turn of events, as Spurs had been seen as front-runners for his signature for several weeks before Eze snubbed their interest in favour of a move to the Emirates.

Gold claims Tottenham’s deal to bring the England international to Thomas Frank’s squad was delayed because Palace wanted Eze available for their Conference League clash with Fredrikstad on Thursday.

The Eagles never finalised a deal with Spurs for Eze’s long-anticipated arrival, allowing Arsenal to swoop in with a late hijack, with verbal agreements now sealed on both club and player sides.

Arsenal Hijack Tottenham’s Move for Eze

Gold, writing on X, revealed that Eze was ready to join Tottenham before Arsenal’s late hijack, with the 27-year-old ultimately choosing the Gunners due to his connection to the North London side:

Eze was a boyhood Arsenal fan and part of the club’s academy until he was 13 – he has previously admitted to ‘crying for a week’ when he was released by the Gunners in 2011.

The 27-year-old emerged as a target for Arsenal following Kai Havertz’s knee injury – the Germany international did not take part in an open training session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and looks set for a spell on the sidelines.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have shifted focus to finding an alternative for Eze, with a deal for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers now being explored.

The Lilywhites are looking for reinforcements following former captain Son Heung-min’s departure to MLS side Los Angeles FC and James Maddison’s ACL injury, which is expected to sideline him for six to seven months.

Spurs are also without Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski, who is still recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in May and is expected to return later in the year.

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