‘Pressure’ – Arsenal legend makes Eberechi Eze admission as £68m move beckons
Eberechi Eze is nearing the completion of his sensational move to Arsenal moving across London from Crystal Palace.
Eze was on the cusp of joining Tottenham before North London rivals Arsenal hijacked the move for the England international.
Palace and Arsenal agreed on terms on Wednesday evening with an agreement between the player and the club having already been agreed upon, with Eze now due to have a medical later this week.
It was revealed earlier today (21 August) that Eze had always set his sights on a move to Arsenal over Spurs.
Eze will likely slide into the starting 11 eventually but might not join Mikel Arteta’s side soon enough to feature at the weekend.
Nonetheless one Arsenal legend has weighed in on the move giving his opinion on the 27-year-old’s move north of the River Thames.
Pressure on Arsenal as Eberechi Eze bolsters squad
Arsenal looked light of open play attacking threat during their 1-0 win away at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arsenal legend Paul Merson discussed the impact Eze’s move could have on the Gunners: “He’s the X-Factor, the missing piece of Arsenal winning the Premier league.
“The pressure is now on to win the Premier League. Mikel Arteta has bought amazingly. They needed a holding midfielder, they bought a top-drawer one in Martin Zubimendi. They needed a centre forward, they bought a centre forward,” he continued. “Now they’ve bought someone who can break defences and who can get into a lot of teams.”
Arsenal’s summer window has seen them add Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres to their first team while bolstering Arteta’s rotation options signing goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, defender Cristhian Mosquera, midfielder Christian Norgaard, and winger Noni Madueke.
Merson believes his Eze’s signing is important for Arteta’s side: “In my opinion, he’s a more significant signing than Viktor Gyokeres. With Eze in the team, he makes things happen. He’s not going to run around, the fans need to understand that. He’s like Mesut Ozil, who just glides around. He’s not going to track back 60 yards. But give him the ball, he will make things happen.
“I’m so excited, I don’t get too excited for signings too often. I thought if Liverpool go and get Isak it would be another year of second for Arsenal, but they are right, right, right in it now,” Merson finished.
There are no excuses for Mikel Arteta not to win the Premier League now
Football Insider verdict
Arteta’s time at Arsenal has been shrouded by a series of underwhelming campaigns that have seen the Spaniard go trophy-less since their FA Cup victory in Arteta’s first season at the club in July 2020.
The North London club have finished second in the Premier League in their last three seasons and will be hoping to go one better this season.
Following Eze’s arrival, the club have now added a top level holding midfielder in Zubimendi, a good striker in Gyokeres and an elite level Premier League talent in Eze.
Sporting director Andrea Berta has built a competitive group at the Emirates, giving Arteta plenty of quality options to turn to off of the bench to change any game this season no matter what situation they’re in.
Now with the added quality of Eze, Arteta can switch between Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Eze, and Madueke in the wide areas while the former Palace man can also add cover as a number 10, bolstering the midfield options too.
| Season | Goals conceded |
| 2020-21 | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 48 |
| 2022-23 | 43 |
| 2023-24 | 29 |
| 2024-25 | 34 |
These attacking threats partnered with Arsenal’s staunch defensive records under Arteta mean Arsenal now look like the best balanced team out of the preseason title favourites.
With an increase in versatile quality all over the pitch there’s no excuse for Arteta not to mount a convincing title challenge in the upcoming season.