Eberechi Eze advised not to join Arsenal by club icon as he points out issue
One former Arsenal star has spoken about Eberechi Eze’s potential move to Arsenal and has offered some words of advice to the Crystal Palace maverick
Eberechi Eze has been warned not to head to north London in his immediate future as he considers his options before the new season kicks off. The 27-year-old has caught the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, but Gunners icon Theo Walcott has urged the attacker to stay put at Selhurst Park.
Eze played a pivotal role in steering the Eagles to their maiden major silverware last campaign by netting the decisive strike in the FA Cup final. The England star had further cause for celebration at Wembley last weekend as Palace defeated Liverpool to claim the Community Shield.
It is understood that Arsenal have been longtime admirers of Eze, though the club would need to shift players to meet his £68million release clause, which expires at the beginning of the new season. Spurs represent another possibility for Eze following James Maddison’s injury setback and Son Heung-min’s departure.
READ MORE: Arsenal target Eberechi Eze has left Germany stars red-faced after Jack Grealish transferREAD MORE: Alan Shearer tells Newcastle not to get involved in £68m Arsenal and Spurs transfer fight
Despite this, Walcott believes next summer’s World Cup could derail the Gunners’ transfer ambitions.
“I think the big thing we’ve got to look at is the World Cup year,” Walcott told the It’s Called Soccer podcast. “You hit the nail on the head there with [Marc] Guehi. As a player, if it’s a World Cup year, I’m thinking, ‘I’m going to play consistently for Palace this year.’
“So if I’m Eze, for instance, my thought process is, Arsenal is a different kind of pressure. There is the pressure of, obviously, challenging for the title. There’s a lot of words being said that Mikel [Arteta] needs to win something this year, so being a player that will help the squad–of course, he will, he’s a gifted player–but will he help himself?
“The good thing about Eze’s situation is that he can play every week. He has that maverick and accepts making and taking those risks.”
“I think he’s a player that can take those risks at Palace,” Walcott added. “I don’t think he’ll get that at Arsenal. But then if he has a really good season with Palace, he will go to the World Cup, I’m pretty sure of that. Then what teams will look at him then after that?
“I think for me, if I was Eze, I’d probably stay put just because of the World Cup year. If it wasn’t a World Cup year, I’d move on.”
On the prospect of Eze leaving Palace, Walcott said: “The grass isn’t always greener and I love the way Eze plays at Palace at this moment in time. It would look very different at Arsenal, but he would improve Arsenal, 100 per cent. I just feel the World Cup year is a big factor for a lot of players this year.”
Eze was handed his England debut in 2023 and was part of the Three Lions squad that reached the Euro final last summer. His 25 goal contributions across all competitions last term saw him named in Thomas Tuchel’s first two England squads.
Walcott’s former teammate, Mikael Silvestre, also echoed his concerns about Eze joining Mikel Arteta’s squad. With Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri already vying for the attacking midfield position, and the recent signing of winger Noni Madueke, Silvestre expressed his doubts to Hajper.
“Eberechi Eze to Arsenal? I don’t think it’d be good for him, to be honest, because there is a lot of competition and because he has so much joy and freedom at Crystal Palace,” Silvestre said.
“Going to Arsenal would, I think, be difficult because of the competition for places. But I like him a lot. Since his early days, he has been terrific.
“It’s a shame he’s had quite a lot of muscle injuries and he’s missed some parts of the season. But whenever he’s fit and ready, he is a top player.”
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