Arsenal have been busy this summer. Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta clearly want to take a big step forward in the Premier League and the Champions League next season.
After finishing last season with promise but still falling short of major trophie, it’s clear this summer is all about closing that gap, both in England and in Europe.
They’ve already brought in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard, and promising young defenders Marcell Washington and Callan Hamill. On top of that, Noni Madueke previously at Chelsea has made a surprise switch to the Emirates, giving Arteta more options out wide.
And they’re not done yet. Reports say Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia and Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres are both on the verge of signing. In fact, the Gyökeres deal may be the one that opens the door for Arsenal’s next target, crystal Palace and England attacker Eberechi Eze.
Gyökeres deal finally happening
FootballTransfers.com and The Guardian report that Arsenal have now agreed a full deal with Sporting CP to sign Viktor Gyökeres. The full deal is reportedly worth around €73.5 million, or about £63.7 million with add-ons included.
The Swedish striker is expected to travel to London soon for his medical. If all goes well, he’ll sign a five-year contract with Arsenal.
It’s been a long negotiation process, with Sporting holding out for close to his full release clause. But Arsenal stayed patient and, by all accounts, got their man.
This move is huge because Arsenal have lacked a natural centre-forward who can score consistently, press hard, and bring others into play. Gyökeres ticks all those boxes.
What makes this move even more important is how it affects Arsenal’s next move in the transfer market because everything around Eberechi Eze seems to depend on Gyökeres.
What’s the Eze situation all about?
Eberechi Eze doesn’t always grab headlines like some of the big-name attackers, but anyone who’s watched Palace regularly knows how special he his.
At 27, he’s just had the best season of his career, 14 goals across all competitions, including that win in the FA Cup final against Manchester City. You will never forget that kind of moment.
He doesn’t play like most wingers or number 10. Eze has a smooth and calm way of moving, gliding through midfield and dribbling past defenders without much effort.
He passes through the middle, sometimes he moves out to the left wing and causes real problems for defenders. Arsenal fans have been waiting a long time for a player who can change a game like that.
And he’s started getting regular England call-ups now, not just for show, but because he’s genuinely deserve it. If Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard or Gabriel Martinelli miss time or hit a bad patch, Eze could be a real difference-maker.
Arsenal interest is real but careful
Arsenal have been watching Eze closely since late June. Fabrizio Romano and other reliable sources have confirmed that Eze is definitely one of the names Arsenal are looking at. But they haven’t made an official offer to Crystal Palace. It's been internal discussions so far. Scouting, analysis, and some talks with the player’s representatives.
Palace have made it clear they’re not going to let Eze go for cheap. The release clause is set at £68 million (€78.3 million). That’s the price to pay, full stop.
Arsenal aren’t too keen to pay that outright. They’ve looked into other ways to make the deal work like offering players such as Leandro Trossard or Reiss Nelson in exchange plus some cash.
But that’s where things get tricky. Palace would only consider those types of deals if the players were signed separately, which makes things slower and more complicated from a financial reporting standpoint.
Where Eze Stands in All This
From Eze’s point of view, he’s more than open to the move. In fact, according to TEAMtalk and sources close to the player, he’s already told friends he expects to join Arsenal but only after they finish the Gyökeres deal first.
Reports say he’s very happy with the personal offer Arsenal have made. It’s the kind of move that could help his career. Playing in the Champions League, competing for big trophies, and working with a manager who trust him.
That said, players talk and hopes rise quickly in football. Just because he wants the move doesn’t mean it’ll happen.
Arsenal haven’t made up their mind yet
From Arsenal’s perspective, they like Eze. They really do. They’ve done the background work. But the price tag is a sticking point. They’ve already committed big money to other areas this summer between Kepa, Zubimendi, Madueke, and now Gyökeres, it’s adding up.
According to FootballTransfers, the Gunners have reached an agreement in principle with Eze on personal terms, but they’re still reluctant to trigger the full clause. Arteta and Edu are trying to balance the budget while still building a title-winning squad.
And with Gyökeres still going through medical checks and final paperwork, Arsenal aren’t rushing into anything else until that deal is officially sealed.
Chelsea are showing interest
While Arsenal take their time, Chelsea have quietly entered the race. TEAMtalk’s Fraser Fletcher confirmed that Chelsea have begun talks with Eze’s representatives. Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea seem willing to trigger the £68 million clause outright no haggling, no waiting.
Sources believe Chelsea are confident they can convince Eze to come to Stamford Bridge instead. And with their squad overhaul still ongoing, they might be able to offer him more guaranteed minutes than Arsenal can.
This is the part that makes Arsenal fans nervous. They’ve been here before watching a deal slip away while another top-six rival swoops in.
Timeline of events so far
The links between Arsenal and Eze started popping up toward the end of June. At first, it was mostly behind-the-scenes interest. No contact with Palace yet, but plenty of internal discussions.
By June 26, it became public knowledge that Arsenal were interested. TEAMtalk reported Eze was pleased with the idea and that he'd received a positive offer from Arsenal. However, the club clearly wanted to handle the Gyökeres deal first before making any moves on Eze.
As July rolled on, Arsenal’s attention stayed focused on finalizing the Gyökeres transfer and wrapping up other business. They explored the idea of including players in the Eze deal, but the financial complications stalled that idea.
On July 1, Arsenal were given a blunt message from Palace: pay the full clause or don’t bother. That seemed to cool things off, at least publicly. As Gyökeres is about signing for Arsenal, people started talking about Eze again and Chelsea began to show interest.
Right now, nothing’s been confirmed.
Now we wait to see what happens
The next move belongs to Arsenal.
They need to officially complete the Gyökeres signing. Medical, contract, announcement, everything. Once that’s done, they’ll reassess their spending, see what’s left in the budget, and decide whether to make a serious move for Eze.
If they do go in, it’s likely they’ll try one more round of negotiations with Palace. But if Palace refuse to budge and if Chelsea go ahead and trigger the release clause, Arsenal will have a decision to make: pay the full £68 million or walk away.
Another factor here is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. Arsenal have also been watching him. If they think they’ve got a shot at bringing him in, that could change everything. Rodrygo would cost more and might not be easy to get, but he’s a top player with Champions League experience.
Right now, Arsenal are still figuring out what their attack will look like. Eze is definitely a serious option, but he’s not the only one.
WanderlustSport Verdict
Here’s the reality: Eze wants Arsenal and same thing to Arsenal. But they also want to be smart about it. The Gyökeres signing is the first thing. Once that falls into place, we’ll see where Arsenal go next.
Palace aren’t moving from their asking price. Chelsea are trying to make a move and time’s running out.
From a fan’s point of view, this one’s tough to call. It makes sense on paper, and there’s clearly mutual interest. But football doesn’t always work on logic. Sometimes it just about timing, pressure, and which club is ready to make the first move.
For now, unless Arsenal decide to pay the release clause or find another way out, the dream of bringing Eze to the Emirates is not sure. Not dead, just on hold.
Stay tuned.