Arsenal ‘in contact’ over ‘multi-functional’ £68m star as Romano confirms plans for deal No 7

Arsenal are reported by three sources to have stepped up their quest to sign Eberechi Eze with talks held with Crystal Palace over a deal, though a BBC Sport reporter has revealed the new role Mikel Arteta is likely to ask the England star to play.

The Gunners are determined to go one better than the three successive runners-up positions they have claimed in the Premier League title race, missing out twice to Manchester City and once, last season, to Liverpool. And while all three will go into the new season with a raft of big-money signings that have strengthened their respective squads, Mikel Arteta will hope he has finally found that all-important winning formula for Arsenal.

And while deals have already been confirmed for Martin Zubimendi, Kepa, Noni Madueke, Christian Norgard, Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres so far, there is still room in the Gunners’ budget for one more significant transfer.

To that end, Arsenal boss Arteta has a strong liking for Eze and has made it clear to club chiefs he wants to get a deal over the line. And while boosted by the fact he has a £68m exit clause in his contract, they are boosted by the fact that the England playmaker is keen on the move and is more than willing to say yes to rejoining the club he started out with as a young scholar and supported as a young boy.

Furthermore, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has revealed the Gunners believe a deal is there to be done for some distance less than his exit clause suggests.

Having already held talks with Eze’s representatives to ascertain the player’s wage demands, The Guardian, Fabrizio Romano and the BBC’s Sami Mokbel have all now revealed that talks have now been held with Crystal Palace to try and agree a deal.

Writing for Givemesport, Romano confirmed: “Arsenal maintain contacts active on player side but not yet with Palace. So now they will focus on outgoings… and then, we will see.”

Per The Guardian, Oliver Glasner’s side have already made Arsenal know that they will have to pay £35m in advance to get the deal done, while his former club QPR are owed 15% of any profit made on his original £20m fee.

However, the biggest update has come from BBC Sport’s Mokbel, who claims has details on when the buy-out clause expires, together with Arteta’s plans if he does indeed get his hands on the ‘multi-functional player’….

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Mokbel reveals Arteta’s plans for Eze at Arsenal

Writing in his BBC Sport column entitled ‘How are Crystal Palace shaping up for the new season?’ Mokbel has revealed how the Eagles are close to entering the new season in a fair amount of flux.

And amid interest in their two best players – Marc Guehi is also wanted by major clubs, alongside Eze – and with Glasner now into the final year of his contract, coupled with the departure of Dougie Freedman as sporting director, there is, all of a sudden, a lot of uncertainty around the Eagles.

Discussing Eze, he stated: ‘There is less pressure on Palace to make a big decision Eze’ with the decision ‘in many ways out of their hands’, owing to his release clause and claiming the Eagles will be ‘powerless’ to prevent his sale if any club meets it.

However, as Mokbel explains, the ‘buy-out expires two weeks before the window closes’, which serves to offer Palace an ‘added layer of protection’.

And while he states Arsenal do have ‘a genuine interest’, they have so far shown ‘no inclination of triggering the forward’s release fee’.

In addition, he states that well-placed sources indicate that Arsenal would prefer to sell a forward of their own before making any formal move for Eze.

To that end, reports on Wednesday revealed the Gunners are in talks over the sale of Leandro Trossard to a high-profile Bundesliga club.

In addition, Mokbel has some useful information on how Arteta best plans to use the ‘multi-functional attacker’.

And despite a feeling at Arsenal that ‘Eze’s best position is at number 10’, Arteta plans to use him on the left and view him as someone who can fill in a variety of positions.

As it stands, it’s claimed Arteta is happy to put his trust in both Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri as options to play in the No.10 position.

In closing, Mokbel states that Palace are ‘aware’ of Arsenal’s interest, but conscious of the fact that the Gunners want to pay a fee lower than his exit clause and hope to negotiate that with their London neighbours.

How Eze can fit into Arsenal’s side; Arsenal beaten to striker signing; 

Meanwhile, we have taken a detailed look at how Arteta can accommodate Eze, alongside all his other new signings into his new-look Arsenal side.

Elsewhere, it has emerged that Liverpool have beaten Arsenal to the signing of an in-demand striker who has already passed a medical, and why the Reds came out on top has been revealed.

And finally, it has emerged that it is not just William Saliba that Real Madrid are keen to prise away from Emirates Stadium, with another top Gunners youngster on the Spanish giants’ radar.

Eze vs Odegaard: Who Arsenal should start at No.10 should Eagles star sign