Arsenal legend Ray Parlour says the club should consider selling one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli to help generate the funds for Eberechi Eze this summer.
The Gunners appear to have got the bulk of their transfer business over the line, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres all arriving through the doors at the Emirates.
But Arsenal’s hierarchy, spearheaded by sporting director Andrea Berta, are keen to further strengthen before the transfer deadline and have set their sights on Eze, who is said to be ‘open’ to a move north of the river.
Eze has a £68million release clause in his contract at Crystal Palace which reportedly expires on August 15, when the new Premier League season gets up and running.
While Arsenal had been hopeful of negotiating a lower fee, Palace are refusing to be bullied into an agreement and have no intention of easing their demands for the England international at this stage.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – click here and sign up before Friday to make sure you don’t miss the first edition.
Eze enjoyed his joint-most productive campaign in front of goal last term as he scored 14 goals in all competitions, including the winner in Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Arsenal are particularly attracted to Eze’s versatility, with the 27-year-old comfortable operating on the left flank or as an attacking midfielder, where he played for the majority of last season at Selhurst Park.
There have been some reports that Arsenal could be prepared to part with either Trossard or Martinelli in order to make room and raise the funds required for Eze.
Asked whether one of Trossard or Martinelli would be an acceptable sacrifice for Eze, former Arsenal midfielder Parlour told Sports Mole: ‘Yes, I think so.
‘Eze is a very impressive player; hugely talented and creative, he can score goals too.’
According to Parlour, Eze would be a ‘great addition’ to Mikel Arteta’s squad and already ‘looks like an Arsenal player’.
‘He has excelled at Palace, he’s now in the England set-up and he looks like an Arsenal player,’ the three-time Premier League winner added.
‘He is exciting to watch, got a good head on his shoulders and would excite the crowd with the way he glides with the ball.
‘I think he would be a great addition to the squad, for sure.’
Eze’s current contract with Palace runs through to June 2027.
After the transfer window slammed shut last summer, Palace chairman Steve Parish admitted he was ‘astounded’ there wasn’t more interest in the ‘outstanding’ forward.
‘I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael [Olise] and Ebbs in the same window and we didn’t have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have,’ Parish told Sky Sports.
‘I was astounded, genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.’
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
On his official YouTube channel, legendary ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand questioned whether Eze would even be a guaranteed starter at Arsenal.
‘I don’t think they need Eze. Why do they need Eze? Where is he going to play?’ Ferdinand asked.
‘You’ve got Martin Zubimendi as a holding midfielder, Declan Rice on the left-hand side of the No.8, Martin Odegaard on the right-hand side.
‘Then you’ve got a winger out of Noni Madueke or Gabriel Martinelli. He’d play where Declan Rice plays.’
Ferdinand added: ‘If Declan Rice played as a holding midfielder, I’d take Eze in a heartbeat.
‘Yeah, he would give [Arsenal] depth. You could move it about. If Declan Rice gets injured, who have you got? Max Dowman.’