Arsenal remain locked in transfer talks over Eberechi Eze, but they have told Crystal Palace that they will only sign the player on one condition.
Eze has already agreed personal terms with the North London side yet the deal has stalled over wrangling over the player’s transfer fee.
The England winger has a release clause in his contract worth €78.6 million (£68m) but now Arsenal have informed Palace that they will not meet such a fee, according to The Athletic.
Arsenal right to take strong Eze stance
Arsenal have already signed five players this summer for a total fee of €168m, with the latest of these Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Arteta has been eager to add another wide attacker to his ranks. Real Madrid winger Rodrygo was linked with a potential move to North London but his €100m asking price put the club off.
Now the Gunners are seeking a more modest target in the form of former QPR ace Eze, who scored 15 times and generated 11 assists for Crystal Palace as they impressed in the Premier League and won the FA Cup.
Indeed, with eight Premier League goals or more in each of the last three seasons, the 27-year-old has earmarked himself as one of the division’s most dangerous players.
Arsenal are right to scoff at the fee that Palace are demanding, though. Eze has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €55m. This is in part driven by the fact that he is at the peak of his game and is not expected to improve significantly in the years ahead.
If the Gunners were to pay Eze’s asking price, they would be stumping up more than €20m more than the player’s worth.
Arsenal are a club that has typically refused to pay over the odds for players in recent years and it appears that they are not willing to make an exception for Eze.
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