Manchester City keen on beating Arsenal to sign Premier League star this summer - Reports
Manchester City's reported interest in Eberechi Eze could spell trouble for Arsenal. The Gunners have been linked with the England international in recent weeks, but the Cityzens have now supposedly entered the race to acquire his services.
According to the Mirror, Manchester City are thinking about a move for the Crystal Palace playmaker after reports of Kevin De Bruyne's potential move to Saudi Arabia. The Belgian midfielder is said to be open to joining Al-Ittihad, who have proposed a lucrative contract to him.
Should De Bruyne, who has just one year left on his deal, leave the Etihad, Eze could be seen as a long-term replacement. Crystal Palace will supposedly refuse to budge from his £68 million release clause, with Tottenham Hotspur also cited as a suitor.
Arsenal have ample depth in attacking midfield but could lose Emile Smith Rowe this summer, with Fulham supposedly chasing the Englishman. City, on the other hand, could be forced to react to De Bruyne's potential departure with a new signing given his undeniable importance to the club.
Eze, 26, has ample experience in England's top flight and was on fire for the Eagles last season, scoring 11 times and laying out four assists in 27 league matches. The versatile midfielder was rewarded for his rich vein of form by being named in England's UEFA Euro 2024 squad, where he made three appearances in his team's run to the final.
Arsenal superstar has already praised Manchester City target Eberechi Eze
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka said he was impressed by what he saw in training from Eberechi Eze. The latter earned his first senior cap in June 2023 and now has seven England appearances to his name.
In the build-up to England's Round-of-16 match against Slovakia at the 2024 Euros, Saka sat down for an interview with TalkSPORT, where he was quizzed about a number of things. One of those questions asked the Arsenal winger to name the Three Lions teammate he was impressed with the most in training in Germany.
Saka replied (via HITC):
"In training, I would say probably Ebs, you know – Ebere Eze. He has been class in training. He has impressed me the most, I would say
Eze played 36 minutes as England beat Slovakia 2-1 (A.E.T) on June 30 and also came off the bench in their 1-1 (5-3 on pens) quarter-final win against Switzerland. However, he was an unused substitute in the two matches that followed, including the 2-1 final loss to Spain.