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News
- 23 minutes ago
How Arsenal will line up with Eberechi Eze
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 21 Aug 2025 06:59 BST
- 5 min read
Analysis
Arsenal are moving swiftly to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, leaving North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur stunned.
The Gunners opened talks with Eze in July but after getting close to a deal dropped their interest, allowing Spurs to close in on the England winger.
However, what appears to be a serious injury for Kai Havertz has seen the Gunners re-enter the market and target the 27-year-old in a sensational swoop that will leave Thomas Frank’s men stunned.
Current ETV
Eberechi Eze
AM, M (C), F (L)
C. Palace
Eberechi Eze
AM, M (C), F (L)
C. Palace
ETV Range
€48.8M - €59.6M
Arsenal have agreed a fee worth €69 million with Palace for the attacker, according to David Ornstein, and with Eze a boyhood fan of the Emirates side, it now looks like he is destined to hook up with Mikel Arteta’s side.
But what is the Spaniard’s plan for using Eze?
How Arsenal will use Eze
FootballTransfers understands that Eze will be used primarily as a No.10 by Arsenal, offering them an opportunity to give Martin Odegaard some rest.
Equally, there are occasions when he will be pushed to the left wing, where he has shown some effectiveness in the past with Crystal Palace. At the end of the 2023/24 season, he scored five goals from five appearances in that role.
In recent times, though, Palace have largely used him as a 10, and that is the role where Arteta sees him most flourishing.
It suggests that Arteta has no interest in signing another centre-forward and will be quite happy to use Mikel Merino as an alternative to Viktor Gyokeres should the No.9 need a break. Leandro Trossard might also be used as an emergency striker, assuming the 30-year-old is not sold before the end of the transfer window.
Otherwise, Eze is likely to slot in around Arsenal’s typical starting XI, playing behind Gyokeres and flanked by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Deeper in midfield will be the star duo of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi while the familiar pair of William Saliba and Gabriel will anchor the defence. Riccardo Calafiori has made the left-back berth his own while Ben White and Jurrien Timber will battle over the right-back position.
David Raya will retain his place in goal.
Eze is, therefore, stepping into an all-star team at Arsenal and faces a fight for game time that Arteta hopes will elevate his game to new heights.
Arsenal with Eberechi Eze
GK: David Raya
RB: Jurrien Timber
CB: Gabriel
CB: William Saliba
LB: Riccardo Calafiori
CM: Declan Rice
CM: Martin Zubimendi
RW: Bukayo Saka
ACM: Eberechi Eze
LW: Gabriel Martinelli
ST: Viktor Gyokeres
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