Arsenal have reignited their interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze after Kai Havertz picked up a knee injury and faces a spell on the sidelines.
The Gunners were keen on Eze earlier in the window but Tottenham moved ahead of them to negotiate a deal in the region of £55m plus add-ons. Spurs have had days of negotiations, which have at times been ‘difficult’, with Palace but are yet to finalise a deal giving Arsenal the belief they can hijack the transfer at the last minute.
The extent of Havertz’s injury is being assessed but Arsenal would want enough cover in the forward areas with Gabriel Jesus still out until at least November.
Arsenal also have players available in positions coveted by Palace, such as Jakub Kiwior, but any suggestion of potential swaps would need to be made in a deal separate to the one for Eze.
Negotiations are moving quickly and the principle of a deal with Palace is already in place for Arsenal, with that believed to be similar to the approximate £60m package offered by Spurs but including faster payment terms.
In their dealings with Tottenham, Palace have asked for more of the eventual fee paid up front to ensure they can secure a replacement for Eze. They also want to get that player in place before releasing the 27-year-old.
For Arsenal, the view from numerous sources was that they preferred is to sell players first before committing to a purchase and then being under pressure to sell before the end of the window.
Havertz’s injury has potentially changed that and the Gunners feel confident they can convince Eze to choose them over Tottenham having long been rumoured to be the winger’s first preference for a move.
