Fans and pundits react as Arsenal hijack Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze

Fans and pundits react as Arsenal suddenly hijack Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze, with Spurs having to turn to other alternatives.

It was confirmed by Sky Sports on Thursday that Arsenal have agreed a £67.5m deal with Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze, with the England international expected to have a medical as soon as Friday. They will pay a guaranteed £60m plus £7.5m in add-ons for the forward.

Arsenal reignited interest mid-week after initially stepping back for other signings and amid concerns over Kai Havertz’s knee injury.

Spurs, who nearly had an agreement including Richarlison in a swap (to pursue Brentford’s Yoane Wissa), have been made aware that Eze now prefers Arsenal, and now have moved to other targets.

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“Today’s a great day to be an Arsenal supporter. They have pulled off a real coup here. At the last minute, they matched Spurs’ offer, and it’s important to remember Eze himself is an Arsenal supporter.

“His wish was very important in this – Arsenal matched Spurs’ bid of £60m including £7.5m in add-ons. Remember, he had a release clause which expired last week which was worth up to £68m.

“Arsenal have been interested in signing him all summer and their fans were crying out for them to make a move for him.

“When you looked at how much business they had already done this summer you could suggest they had to sell before they brought in another player.

“Is this move motivated by the fact Kai Havertz picked up this injury at Old Trafford? Or have they been really smart and avoided getting involved in a bidding war, and knew he would choose Arsenal if he had a choice – and waited for Spurs to agree a deal before they turn up at the 11th hour and matched it. I think it’s a bit of both.

“I have some sympathy for Spurs. This is not football manager, this is real life. I don’t want to kick Spurs when they’re down – I’m trying to see it from the perspective of their hierarchy.

“I think they did everything they could to try to sell the club to Eze. A lot of Spurs fans are asking why they didn’t trigger his release clause before Friday, but maybe they tried to do that and the player could’ve dragged his feet. Maybe he was keeping his options open.

“Spurs fans are very angry and criticising Daniel Levy and the owners, but I think we should keep things in perspective; these kind of things happen all the time in the window.

“Ultimately, everyone knows Eze is an Arsenal fan, as are his whole family. He played for them until he was 13 when he was released.

“Why didn’t Spurs trigger the release clause? It might’ve needed paying in one lump sum. They might’ve waited until it expired to get a better deal.”

Jamie O’Hara said while on talkSPORT: “I’m going to lose my head…

“I’m disappointed in Tottenham, we should have had this deal done weeks ago, we should have had it over the line and got it done.

“As soon as we started the season, we should have had Eze in the team, and do you know what, it serves us right.

“It serves Daniel Levy right, it serves Spurs right, it’s the same old Tottenham, it happens every single season, we’re penny-pinchers!

“It happened again, and we’re going to miss out on a top-quality player who’s proven in the Premier League.

“Just pay the money and get the player over the line!

“We got rid of [Heung-min] Son, [James] Maddison has done his ACL, we needed Eze, we needed him.

“It’s an absolute joke that we’re going to lose him to Arsenal of all teams, who are going to waltz in and pay and get it over the line in a couple of hours, it’s a joke!”

O’Hara continued: “I get it, Arsenal are a better team than us, they’re in a better position, I wouldn’t say they’re bigger.

“They’re doing well and that’s why Tottenham needed to get the deal done, so you can’t get hijacked.

“This is what happens, the bigger clubs come in and get the players, you don’t get the deal done, this is what’s going to happen.

“Levy is a penny-pincher,” he shouted. “Maddison did his ACL a month ago, he could have got the deal done.

“Maddison is out for the season, he’s done, Son’s gone, he knew Son was going, he knew that a month ago.

“He knew those players were done and he still hasn’t got it over the line, he still hasn’t got it over the line knowing this was coming.

“How have you not got this done? Honestly, it’s a joke and I’m f******…”

“I feel embarrassed – it’s a really, really bad look for us” 🫣

This Tottenham Hotspur Fanalyst is not happy with Daniel Levy and how Spurs approached the Eberechi Eze deal ❌ pic.twitter.com/qB9DJtwybe

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 21, 2025

This Tottenham Hotspur Fanalyst said: “I mean, I think the general outlook among the Spurs fan base is that we’re all furious.

“And the thing is it’s not even necessarily anger at Eze himself or at Arsenal for coming in. It’s anger at Tottenham and Daniel Levy for not being able to get a deal done when we’ve had a free run at him over the last couple of weeks.

“James Madison tore his ACL three, four weeks ago now. And we know we’ve been massively light in that attacking midfield department.

“And Eze has been someone that the club have had their eye on for years is like the perfect fit for the squad.

” And yet we’ve been haggling over bonuses and add-ons over the last week. We’ve been trying to bring the price down as much as we can.

“And then Arsenal, Havertz gets injured and within a day, know, everything breaks that they’ve got a deal sealed for him.

“I think it’s more frustration and anger that after the Gibbs-White stuff as well, now this has fallen through our fingers.

“And the fact that it is to Arsenal as well, think the feeling is anger at Spurs at Daniel Levy and I feel embarrassed personally to do with the whole deal. I think it’s a really, really bad look for us.”

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:

“Eze is a brilliant signing for Arsenal.

“It’s a game-changer and a perfect fit.

“If Arsenal had let Spurs get him, I’d have had to have question what the club was doing because he’s a quality player.

“Arsenal struggle when teams come to the Emirates and put everyone behind the ball. Teams want to limit the space Arsenal have to play in and they have struggled to break teams down with those tactics.

“We’ve seen it over the last few years where they have struggled to break teams down when it gets right to the business end of a game and the business end of a season.

“For me, that’s where Eze comes in at Arsenal. He’s got the x-factor and in tight, tight games he has the ability to break a low block down.

“Away from home, maybe he’s not the answer. Against the likes of Liverpool and Man City, they may come under the cosh for a bit, and they may have to play slightly differently.

“But that’s why you have a big squad. At home, against the lesser teams, where they have 70 to 80 per cent of the ball, let Eze go and do what he wants because he will make something happen.

“I think Arsenal win the league with Eze.

“They had a chance without him because it’s a real heads or tails season with Liverpool, and Man City played well on the opening weekend, but Eze help get them over the line.”