Man Utd, Arsenal on alert as ‘silky’ Premier League star backed to join ‘top club’ amid exciting rise

Manchester United and Arsenal will be delighted after learning Crystal Palace star Ebere Eze has all the attributes needed to shine for a ‘top club’ following his great season in 2022-23.

Eze managed 10 goals and four assists in 38 Premier League games, finishing the campaign as Palace’s top scorer and helping them reach 11th place in the top flight. The attacking midfielder did particularly well after Roy Hodgson replaced Patrick Vieira as manager, registering six goals and one assist in Palace’s final nine matches of the season.

That impressive form saw Eze impress England boss Gareth Southgate, who subsequently included the Eagles star in his squad for the Euro 2024 qualifies against Malta and North Macedonia. Eze went on to make his international debut against Malta.

The playmaker has been linked with Palace’s top-flight rivals Man Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle previously. On June 18, it emerged that Man Utd were seriously looking at signing Eze in case their pursuit of Mason Mount came to nothing.

And if Mount fails to deliver at Old Trafford, it would make sense for the Red Devils to swoop in for Eze.

Geoff Cameron, one of Eze’s former team-mates at QPR, has heaped praise on the 25-year-old in an interview with talkSPORT, while also providing some insight on how the star got to where he is today.

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“He goes at his own beat and he’s smooth, silky, sharp and kind of graceful at the same time. He has this ability to change the game,” Cameron said.

“Having seen those glimpses of it at QPR, it was like: ‘You need to be more consistent. You need more’.

Ebere Eze has adapted to top level, says former team-mate

“When he was making that jump to Crystal Palace, I’ll never forget I said [to him]: ‘It’s a different beast in the Premier League. You won’t be the number ten because you have to earn it. You can’t be that luxury player [as] you’ve got to do both sides.’

“I think he experienced that in the first six months or so because he was starting and then all of a sudden, he kind of drifted out a little bit. He got a sense that yeah, you have to work both sides.

“Then it became about how you can have an effect on every single game and being the creative guy that he is but also, [adding the] work rate at a consistent level.”

Cameron continued: “I had a good buddy of mine, Jack Butland, at Crystal Palace and I said: ‘How’s Ebs doing?’ and he said his ability was a joke and he kind of said the same thing that he’ll learn and get through it. Now, you’re seeing the potential that he has and he’s got a bright, bright future ahead of him.

“For me, I think he’ll get there [to a top club], 100 per cent. It’s just [about] time, experience, more games under his belt, more opportunities to show his ability and [to] bang in more goals. He has it.

“Can he do it consistently every game and be that impactful? I believe he can and you’ll see it.”

The next step for Eze is to continue the form he had at the back end of last season for a full campaign. If he can do this, then he will truly start banging on the door for an England place, while also showing major Prem teams why they need to sign him.

Eze’s Palace contract runs for another two years, while transfermarkt put his value at £34.2m.

Meanwhile, Man Utd and Liverpool look set to miss out on a top-class star as he is getting closer to an Al Hilal move, according to Fabrizio Romano.