Eberechi Oluchi Eze signed for Arsenal on 24 August 2025. The 27-year-old England international joined the Gunners on a long-term contract from Crystal Palace for up to £67.5 million. As Arsenal legend Ian Wright said in the announcement video, Eze is capable and has shown the ability to create and raise levels, hairs, and the roof. At one stage, it looked like he would sign for Tottenham Hotspurs – Arsenal’s North London rival. However, it was an obvious decision between the two for the boyhood Arsenal fan. This article will not only delve into how this transfer came about, but also Eze’s journey as a whole.
In 2006, Eze, who hails from a family of Arsenal fans, joined the club’s academy. He could not be any prouder, and at that age, he was known at school as the boy who played for Arsenal. “It was everything at the time”, Eze told Men in Blazers. However, at just 13-years-old he was released from the set-up – a heart-breaking reality for the vast majority of children in organised football in England. This was especially difficult for the 13-year-old boy whose “identity was almost wrapped up in that”, Eze told BBC Sport.
Fulham, Reading, and Millwall were the next set of brief pit stops along his journey, but he was released from those clubs too. Further rejection lay ahead of him in the form of failed trials at clubs such as Bristol City and Sunderland. This continued until he found a footballing home at Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in 2016. He told Versus, “My trust and faith in God and the gift He has given me, I just allowed it to fuel me and fill me up, which was important.”
At QPR, everything clicked for the midfielder who glides with the ball at his feet. A perfect balance of coaches and teammates who believed in him, coupled with a successful loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers, resulted in Eze beginning to blossom into the footballer we see today.
The 2019/2020 season saw Eze score 14 goals for the club and provide 8 assists on his way to being named QPR Player Of The Season and earning a spot in the Championship Team of the Season.
On 28 August 2020, Crystal Palace spent £17.8 million on Eze. He would immediately provide a return on investment, scoring on his debut for the South London Club. His five years at the club had its ups and downs as the midfielder suffered from a ruptured achilles injury just after being named in the provisional England squad for the 2020 European Football Championships, also known as the Euros.
Eze returned as a stronger player and person, and he would later become a full-time England international. His time at Crystal Palace culminated in the team winning their first ever major trophy in the form of the FA Cup. The club followed up this victory with another, qualifying for European football for the first time. Eze was pivotal in the club’s fairytale run as he scored in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final, where his first-half goal saw the team win against Manchester City.
During the recent transfer window, it became clear that the Palace star had paid his dues and was ready for a new challenge. Interest from Arsenal appeared early in the transfer window, but that interest seemed to dwindle. Tottenham Hotspurs stepped in, and, for all intents and purposes, it seemed as if that would be his final destination. However, at the eleventh hour, Eze called Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta himself to find out if the club still wanted him, and soon enough, he was on his way to the red half of North London. Eze’s journey is proof that closed mouths do not get fed and that relentlessly going after what you want can lead to the desired result. “His journey, his mentality, and his ambition are exactly what we want in our team, and we love how much it means to him and his family to join our club,” Mikel Arteta said after Eze signed for the club.
The pertinent question remains: can he lead the Gunners to that elusive Premier League or UEFA Champions League trophy? The team already boasts the best defensive record in the Premier League for the last two seasons, and after strengthening themselves during the transfer window with other star recruits, the team seems well equipped to do so. Liverpool FC will no doubt stand in their way, with the reigning Premier League champions aiming to retain their crown after an exceptional transfer window and defeating the Gunners 1-0 at Anfield.
Nevertheless, Eberechi Eze brings with him a reputation of uplifting his former teams and bringing trophies to a club that had not won beforehand. Eze and Arsenal will look to continue the tradition this season and finally win a major trophy to bring joy to a football club that has come so close to glory. One thing is for sure: this homecoming was worth the wait.
