🔴 The Loose Cannon: Eze Phones Arteta To Scupper Tottenham's 'Done Deal'
Tottenham thought they'd done it. Weeks of haggling, penny-pinching, and Daniel Levy's usual "£10 off and a packet of crisps" routine, and they finally agreed a fee with Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze. A £67.5 million deal, all but wrapped up. Spurs fans were polishing their social media posts, dreaming of stepovers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
And then… Eze picked up the phone. Not to his agent, not to his mum — but to Mikel Arteta.
"Gaffer, are you actually interested?" he asked, with Spurs' contract practically still warm on the table. Within hours, Arsenal's board had convened, Andrea Berta and Tim Lewis kicked into gear, and suddenly Spurs were left staring at another chapter in the book of "Deals We Thought We'd Won But Didn't."
🎨 Red and White, Not White and Blue
By Saturday, Eze was walking out onto the Emirates pitch, decked in Arsenal red, unveiled to rapturous cheers just minutes before the 5–0 mauling of Leeds. For Spurs fans, it must have felt like watching your crush waltz into the club on the arm of your older, richer, better-looking neighbour.
To rub it in further, a mural of Eze celebrating in Arsenal colours was slapped up near the ground. Spurs sympathisers tried to deface it with white paint, allegedly. Some say it's poetic, really — as much like Spurs' title challenges since 1961, the mural didn't last long before being ruined.
The mural's artist, North Bansky, summed it up best: "All that hard work gone in seconds — a bit like Tottenham must feel about their Eze transfer dealings."
To tell the truth, I was a bit surprised at how upset Spurs fans were about their Eze deal not going through. He's a decent player, but is he a massive upgrade on Trossard? I'm not sure. He's younger. He'll probably make an impact. He's a good signing, but is he a great? We'll see. Given the injuries to key players, Eze was a necessary addition, but
Spurs have just beaten Man City away and I think they've got a great manager in Thomas Frank. Their existing squad must be strong already to get a result like that, so we can ill-afford to laugh at Spurs, tempting though it is.
When Arsenal play Spurs later this season, imagine the heat that is going to be on Eze. I think he'll rise to occasion, just like Sol Campbell used to, when he incensed Tottenham's fan base by moving across north London for free.
Whatever way we look on the Eze deal, it's a significant coup. The timing was right.
🧩 Why Eze?
Arsenal didn't need another striker. Viktor Gyökeres has already turned up looking like he was built in a Scandinavian lab designed for bullying centre-halves. What Arsenal needed was balance, creativity, and someone who could make defenders dizzy on the left to stop everything flowing down the right through Saka and Ødegaard.
Enter Eze: a boyhood Gunner, booted from the academy at 13, rebuilt himself via QPR and Palace, lifted an FA Cup at Wembley, starred at Euro 2024, and now completing his redemption arc back in red. He brings flair, charisma, and that most Arsenal of traits: making Spurs look silly.
😬 The Price of Glory
Of course, Arsenal never get everything their own way. Ødegaard's shoulder went pop, Saka's hamstring twanged, and Havertz is already crocked. That's three attacking players down, two weeks into the season. Arteta was visibly frustrated: "It shows how well-equipped you have to be in this league." Translation: "Thank God we nicked Eze."
But Arsenal's depth is now frightening. Martinelli vs Eze vs Madueke vs Trossard for a left-sided role? That's a fight that keeps opposition managers awake at night.
📉 Tottenham's Summer in a Nutshell
Spurs did the running, Arsenal took the prize. Sound familiar? It's a transfer hijack straight out of north London folklore. Spurs even agreed to wait so Eze could play his final game for Palace in Europe — classy touch, but fatally naive. Arsenal swooped, Spurs backed off, and the rest is history.
📊 Eze by the Numbers
- £67.5m: The price Arsenal happily paid after Spurs did the groundwork.
- 45 goal contributions in three Premier League seasons at Palace.
- FA Cup winner – and the man who scored the winner against Manchester City in the final.
- Boyhood Gunner – which always matters, especially when it leaves Spurs fuming.
⚔️ What's Next?
Liverpool away. Anfield. August 31st. If Eze makes his debut there, it'll be baptism by fire — and another chance to prove Spurs' latest heartbreak was Arsenal's masterstroke.
So, Spurs fans: wipe the white paint off your fingers, put the mural brush down, and accept reality. Eberechi Eze is home. And nothing screams Arsenal quite like stealing your rival's thunder at the last minute.
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