Spurs step up Eze pursuit as £68m release clause expires

2 godzin temu

Eberechi Eze has travelled with the Crystal Palace squad for Sunday's Premier League opener against Chelsea despite intensifying transfer speculation. The 27-year-old England international could feature in Oliver Glasner's starting lineup as Tottenham Hotspur step up their pursuit of the attacking midfielder.

Spurs are now poised to move forward with efforts to sign Eze in the coming days. The north London club had been long-standing admirers of the Palace star and are accelerating their interest as the transfer window progresses.

The dynamics around any potential deal shifted significantly on Friday when Eze's £68 million release clause expired without being triggered. Tottenham believe they can secure the player for a fee below that threshold and are prepared to test Palace's resolve.

Transfer urgency increases

According to the Mirror, James Maddison's serious knee injury has accelerated Tottenham's interest in Eze as a potential replacement. The midfielder's desire for Champions League football is reportedly driving his potential move to Spurs, who will compete in Europe's premier competition this season.

Arsenal had previously shown interest in Eze earlier this summer but cooled their pursuit. The Gunners' decision to tie young star Ethan Nwaneri down to a new five-year contract influenced their reduced interest in the Crystal Palace attacker.

Manager remains confident

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner remains bullish about Eze's availability for the Chelsea clash. The Austrian coach confirmed both Eze and teammate Marc Guéhi have trained fully throughout the week in preparation for Sunday's match.

"Marc has trained the entire week with us, every single training session, the same with Ebs," Glasner said. "They've prepared the best way for the Chelsea game on Sunday afternoon."

The manager acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the transfer window but expressed confidence in his squad selection. "I've been in the football business for too long, so I know that at any time of any day, things can happen. If you ask me now, I expect both Marc and Ebs to start on Sunday."

Strong season performance

Eze caught the attention of various top clubs after an impressive campaign last season, contributing eight goals and eight assists in the Premier League. He scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final and completed 90 minutes in last week's Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

Sources used: "PA Media", "The Standard", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.

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