Arsenal signing admits he rejected Spurs when Gunners made offer
Eberechi Eze has admitted he is open to a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but only until Arsenal replace him.
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One of the major transfer sagas of the summer concerned the future of Eberechi Eze. Despite early reports of interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the midfielder waited a long time for a formal offer to be made.
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When that concrete interest finally came, it came from Spurs, with Arsenal’s north London rivals reeling from the loss of James Maddison.
For at least a few days, it looked like Eze was really going to sign for Tottenham, but negotiations dragged on a bit. Then Arsenal entered the race and quickly closed a deal.
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Speaking at an event this week, Eze admitted he was considering joining Spurs, but only until the Gunners officially enter the race.
“I was ready to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came it would always be them,” Eze said (via The Athletic). “My first (senior) game with Arsenal was special. It almost didn’t seem real because it’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.
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“Playing for Arsenal from the age of eight to 13, I wanted to go back. It was like a dream come true.”
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Eze has made a good start to life at Arsenal, scoring once and providing three assists in his first 10 appearances. More importantly, the Gunners won all but two of those matches to move into first place in the Premier League with a 100% Champions League record.
There will be inevitable comparisons to Xavi Simons, who was Spurs’ second choice after failing to sign Eze. But the Dutch international has collected just one assist and no goals in his first nine matches for Tottenham, sixth in the league with just one win in three in Europe.
Eze’s summer transfer saga will certainly add an extra element of spice to next month’s north London derby.