Chelsea ‘can beat’ Arsenal to £68m signing amid three factors after hijack as Gunners decide U-turn

According to reports, Arsenal have decided to perform a U-turn on a leading transfer target as Chelsea ‘can beat’ them to the signing amid three factors.

The Gunners have made significant progress in the transfer market in recent weeks, with three key additions set to follow Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard in signing for the Premier League giants.

The north London side are primed to move to the top of our biggest spenders in Europe ranking as they are well-placed to complete deals for Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera.

These are vital signings for Arsenal after they finished second in the Premier League for a third consecutive season and failed to end their trophy drought in 2024/25.

Still, they won’t be finished after finalising these deals, as recent reports have also indicated that they are also in the market for an attacking midfielder amid interest in Eberechi Eze.

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The England international was one of the standout performers in the Premier League in 2024/25, grabbing 25 goal involvements in all competitions for Crystal Palace.

Eze is attracting interest from elsewhere and is likely to leave Palace as there is a £68m release clause in his current contract.

In recent weeks, Arsenal have been mooted as a likely destination for the attacking midfielder, but they face competition from Chelsea.

Chelsea have held ‘new talks’ over signing Eze, with a report from journalist Fraser Fletcher for our pals at TEAMtalk has revealed how they ‘can beat’ Arsenal to land him.

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Firstly, this is because Arsenal’s ‘hopes’ of signing Eze have ‘swelled’ as they have ‘cooled’ their ‘interest’ in the Palace star.

The report claims this is because they are ‘not willing’ to activate Eze’s £68m release clause, with Chelsea given a ‘clearer path’ due to this and their target being a ‘cost-effective alternative to Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who carries a hefty £90 million price tag’.

Tottenham Hotspur’s stance on Eze is another factor in Chelsea’s favour.

The report adds:

‘This shift from Arsenal has given Chelsea a clearer path, with the Blues prepared to offer Eze a lucrative contract to secure his signature.

‘Tottenham Hotspur are another admirers of Eze. However, Spurs have also stepped back in recent weeks, focusing on other targets, which further strengthens Chelsea’s position in the race for Eze.’

This signing would take Chelsea’s summer spend to around £300m as they have already invested heavily to land Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.