Ornstein transfer latest: Arsenal hijack Eze to Spurs

Summary

The Athletic FC Podcast

Episode: Ornstein transfer latest: Arsenal hijack Eze to Spurs

Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Ayo Akimwaleere
Guests: David Ornstein, Jack Pitt-Brooke (Spurs writer), Adrian Clarke (Arsenal podcast "Handbrake Off")

---

Episode Overview

In this landmark episode, The Athletic FC Podcast delves into Arsenal's stunning last-minute swoop for Eberechi Eze, hijacking Tottenham’s deal after weeks of negotiations. Host Ayo Akimwaleere is joined by The Athletic’s transfer guru David Ornstein and club insiders Jack Pitt-Brooke (Spurs) and Adrian Clarke (Arsenal) to unpack how the drama unfolded, what it means for both clubs, and the wider transfer market implications. The discussion is lively, frank, and loaded with insider intel and contrasting North London perspectives.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Arsenal Hijacked Eze from Spurs

[02:55–05:41]

• The Deal: Arsenal swoop at lightning pace to agree a fee with Crystal Palace—around £67.5m, matching the sum Spurs were negotiating.
• Ornstein: "It was a move that he ultimately always wanted... The plan is for him to play in Palace's Europa Conference League game tonight, then undergo his medical." (03:28)
• Negotiation Details: Spurs and Palace were deep in complex talks, but Arsenal sensed hesitation and made their move after learning of Kai Havertz’s knee injury.
• Risk Factor: Eze plays for Palace in Europe on the eve of the transfer, risking injury before the deal is finalized.

2. Why Didn’t Spurs Get It Done?

[05:41–11:42]

• Negotiations Dragged: Ornstein points out complex financial negotiations, not simply waiting for Palace's European game, stalled Spurs' progress (05:48).
• Tottenham’s Efforts: "Tottenham got a deal done with Crystal Palace and with the player. It was ready to rumble... before Arsenal came and did this." (07:11, Ornstein)
• Eze's Preference: Eze clearly favored Arsenal, having been in their academy and being a lifelong fan. He reportedly kept tabs via contacts, anxious to know if Arsenal would act.
• Levy & Spurs’ Role: Debate on whether Daniel Levy moved too slowly, but ultimately, the player’s preference proved decisive.

3. Arsenal’s Spending and the Need for Sales

[11:42–14:44]

• Financial context: With Arsenal now over £250m spent, attention turns to outgoings (Vieira, Nelson, Zinchenko potentially on the move).
• Ornstein on compliance: "Arsenal had a lot of headroom on Premier League PSR… not on UEFA’s FFP, which is tight, so some maneuvering will need to be done." (13:16)
• Sales record needs improvement: Arsenal has not been as impressive as rivals in selling players and are under pressure to balance books.

4. Spurs’ Mood: Frustration & What’s Next

[17:02–19:39]

• Fan Reaction: "It's pretty not a happy time at the moment in Spurs world." (17:21, Jack Pitt-Brooke)
• Missed Opportunities: After missing out on both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze, frustration is high.
• Squad Depth Issues: Injuries to star creators Maddison and Kulusevski have left Spurs desperate for creative midfielders.

5. The Arsenal Perspective: An All-Time Hijack

[19:39–21:55]

• Fan Mood: Adrian Clarke calls the Eze deal "an all timer… It doesn't really get any sweeter than that in terms of transfer activity." (19:50)
• Fan Unity: “I don’t think I can remember one player uniting the fan base in such a powerful way as Eze.” (20:13, Clarke)

6. Spurs, Levy & the Transfer Blame Game

[21:55–23:36]

• Is Levy at fault?: Jack Pitt-Brooke is measured: "It's kind of hard to see what more Tottenham could have done..." (22:26)
• Transfer Reality: A deal takes three parties—and if Eze wants Arsenal, little Spurs or Levy could do.

7. Squad Impact & Dressing Room Dynamics

[23:36–25:05]

• Spurs’ morale: Clarke notes footballers are resilient; it won’t “derail the dressing room,” even if it frustrates them not to get Eze (23:58).

8. Where Does Eze Fit at Arsenal?

[27:32–30:32]

• Tactical Analysis:
  • Adds unpredictability and maverick talent to a structured Arsenal side.
  • Can play left, as No.10, deep, or in advanced roles—his versatility gives Arsenal more ways to break down defences.
• Clarke: "This Arsenal team, this squad, needed a maverick talent... Mikel Arteta has some great players... but Arsenal have been a little too formulaic in attack." (27:41)
• Draws pressure off Saka and gives a new out-ball for striker Viktor Gyökeres.

9. Eze’s Dream Move & The Human Side

[29:02–30:32]

• Emotional Homecoming:
  • Eze was in Arsenal’s academy, is an Arsenal supporter.
  • Clarke: “He dreamed as a kid of wearing the red and white… He’s going to be so hungry to become a hero among the supporters of which he’s been one.” (29:30)
• Jack Pitt-Brooke: “He would have been happy to go to Tottenham... but Arsenal was the dream destination.” (29:50)

10. England Implications & Prime Years

[30:32–33:52]

• Minutes at Arsenal vs Spurs: At Spurs he’d be a guaranteed starter; at Arsenal, he’ll compete, but should get plenty of action in four competitions.
• World Cup boost: "In either case... I think it's great for his England career either way." (30:54, Pitt-Brooke)
• Peak Years: Eze (27) is signed for his prime and will add goals, dribbling threat, and shots-from-range that Arsenal lacked last season.

11. Last-Minute Risks and Eze’s Character

[33:52–35:32]

• Playing for Palace pre-transfer unusual, but:
  • Jack Pitt-Brooke: "He's definitely somebody who wants to leave clubs in a good way… I just wonder whether that's part of the thinking behind him playing in Europe tonight." (34:14)

12. North London Derby & Reception

[36:14–36:41]

• Jack Pitt-Brooke: “Spurs fans will probably make their opinions known... it’s not a difficult one to point to in the diary as being a game that needs no extra edge.”

---

Notable Quotes

• David Ornstein (03:28):
  "Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eberechi Eze... and he's agreed personal terms with Arsenal as well. It was a move that he ultimately always wanted."

• David Ornstein (07:11):
  "Tottenham got a deal done with Crystal Palace and with the player. It was ready to rumble and it was very much in its final stages before Arsenal came and did this."

• Ayo Akimwaleere (05:41):
  "Is it too much of a stretch to ask that if this match wasn't happening tonight... that Eze would be a Spurs player?"

• Adrian Clarke (19:50):
  "It's an all timer, isn't it, in the world of hijacks... the perfect signing for what Arsenal need. The nature of it, coming in right at the end to steal him away from your big rivals, it doesn't really get any sweeter."

• Jack Pitt-Brooke (17:21):
  "It's pretty not a happy time at the moment in Spurs world... It's a pretty tough one to take for a lot of Spurs fans out there."

• Adrian Clarke (27:41):
  "This Arsenal squad needed a maverick talent, somebody different... Eze brings positional unpredictability. He just is a player that unlocks the door."

• Jack Pitt-Brooke (29:50):
  "He would have been happy to go to Tottenham... but Arsenal was the dream destination."

• Adrian Clarke (29:30):
  "He'll want to—he dreamed as a kid of wearing the red and white. He dreamed of playing at Emirates and that dream was taken away. Now he's been given a second chance."

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:55] Episode proper begins: Arsenal hijack of Eze to Spurs
• [03:28] Ornstein explains the deal and Eze's preference
• [05:48] Whether the Palace game delayed Spurs, and where negotiations broke down
• [08:40] Tottenham fans’ frustration and the difficulty of high-stakes transfer negotiations
• [11:53] Arsenal’s need to sell and FFP context
• [17:21] Spurs fan perspective, missing out on creative targets
• [19:50] Arsenal fan joy—“An all-timer in the world of hijacks”
• [22:26] Pitt-Brooke: Why Levy not to blame
• [23:58] Clarke: How won/lost transfers affect the dressing room
• [27:41] Clarke’s tactical breakdown of Eze’s fit at Arsenal
• [29:30] Emotional pull for Eze, Arsenal’s homecoming hero
• [30:54] Eze’s England prospects at Arsenal vs Tottenham
• [33:52] The unusual situation of Eze playing for Palace pre-transfer
• [36:21] Anticipation for the North London Derby and Eze’s reception

---

Notable & Memorable Moments

• "I don't think I can remember one player uniting the fan base in such a powerful way as Eze." (20:13, Clarke)
• "Footballers don't get too excited about signings until they're actually in the building because we all know things can change last minute." (23:58, Clarke)
• "Eze was the dream destination... and as soon as he became aware that bid was serious, I don't think there's anything Tottenham could have done about it." (29:50, Clarke)
• "Spurs fans will probably make their opinions known... a game that needs no extra edge." (36:21, Pitt-Brooke)

---

Conclusion

This episode delivers a detailed, emotion-filled, and expertly contextualized breakdown of one of the wildest North London transfer dramas in recent memory. Listeners get unique insight into the mechanics of a hijacked top transfer, the rivalry’s bitter-sweet realities, and the human and tactical dimensions of Eze’s dream Arsenal move—with plenty of spice promised for the next derby showdown.

Transcript

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM this season. We'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars, place bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 Massachusetts 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.

[Derek Clason]

Hi, I'm Derek Clason, host of the Athletic Football Show. Today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile offering reliable nationwide coverage backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. Love your service or get your money back, no questions asked. Boost Mobile offers the same nationwide coverage, network, speed and service consumers are used to, but at more affordable prices. Why would you pay more if you don't have to? Boost Mobile also understands that change can be scary, which is why they allow you to try their service risk free for 30 days. And if you're not happy, you can get your money back. So start saving on wireless today with Boost Mobile's unlimited plans starting at just $25 a month. Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or find us [e-mail] After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan. Customers who cancel within 30 days of activation will have Boost service fees refunded, activation fees if applicable and phone payments will not be refunded. The Boost mobile network together with their roaming partners covers 98% of the US population. 5G speeds are not available in all areas.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Aging is a natural process as we all know and I for one don't mind embracing it. But I will tell you one part of aging that I don't care for. It's the symptoms that stem from changing hormones as you get older to perimenopause and menopause. That's why we want to tell you about Happy Mammoth's Hormone Harmony. Happy Mammoth, the company that created Hormone Harmony, is dedicated to making women's lives easier and that means using only science backed ingredients that have been proven to work for women. They make no compromise when it comes to quality and it shows for a limited time you can get 15% off on your entire first order@happy mammoth.com just use the code Happy Me at checkout.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

The Athletic FC welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me, Ayo Akimwaleere. David Ornstein has spoken. Arsenal have hijacked Tottenham's move for Eberici Eze. So how did we get here? Here with us today we have the Athletics football correspondent David Ornstein, and we'll get the view from both sides of North London a little shortly as well. David, I know you're on holiday, but the football never stops. Eze has gone to Arsenal. Tell us what are the details?

[David Ornstein]

The best never rest IO I'm certainly not the best, but I do never rest because this industry and transfer market is wild and relentless and if you sleep you're probably going to miss something. It's 247 and we haven't seen the end of it yet. So yeah, Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Crystal palace to sign Eberecheze for a fee in the region of his now expired release clause, which was 60 plus 8 million pounds. I think it works out precisely at about 60 plus 7.5 million pounds. And he's agreed personal terms with Arsenal as well. It was a move that he ultimately always wanted. But that doesn't tell you the half of the story. The plan is, I think, for him to play in Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League game tonight on the day of recording, and then undergo his medical before completing this blockbuster proposed transfer.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Is that not quite risky though? If I'm Mikel Arteta, I don't want Eze playing if I'm spending this much.

[David Ornstein]

Money, I guess it presents potential risk. Yep. However, it was always part of any negotiation with Crystal Palace. I don't think we should show any disrespect to the magnitude of their European fixture. We know what they've been through with UEFA, the Europa League, into the Conference League and Eze is a key player. It's not Palace's fault. The speed of negotiations and they planned with him for the Community Shield for their opening Premier League match, and now this one too. Tottenham, and we'll get on to their pursuit shortly, eventually agreed a deal with Crystal palace and accepted all of their conditions. And one of them was to let Eze play in Thursday's match. So it was the same situation for spurs as it is for Arsenal, and Arsenal went along with that. Of course, everybody has their fingers crossed for club and country and football as a whole, that any player comes through any match unscathed. And there'll naturally be a bit of anxiety around this, but you know, his fitness record has been great since his ruptured Achilles and fingers crossed for the player.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Is it too much of a stretch to ask that if this match wasn't happening tonight, Palace's first in Europe, that e would be a Spurs player?

[David Ornstein]

Right now I think there's a very good chance of it. However, I don't think the Crystal palace match element is what ultimately delayed Tottenham's proposed transfer. I think that was more a case of the negotiations, the back and forth between spurs and Crystal palace over whether it be the fixed fee, the add ons, the ins and outs of a deal of such magnitude. You know, financially it's very high, it's hugely important. There are a lot of factors and voices involved. Even though the ultimate discussions were direct between Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, and his Crystal palace counterpart, Steve Parish. And it hasn't been suggested to me that the Conference League game brought about a delay that allowed Arsenal to sneak in and get this done. I think it was more an unfortunate set of circumstances in that as the negotiations dragged on and we can get into that in due course. Arsenal suffered the news of Kai Havertz knee injury and it means he could be out for a period of time. They don't know just yet. They're still assessing the extent and duration of the problem. And Arsenal detected the negotiations between Tottenham and Palace were not necessarily going as smoothly as Tottenham would have liked. And they identified it as a chance to pounce. And pounce they did in quite remarkable speed and efficiency that has allowed them to get this deal done. But with all of these situations, you know, it's not done until it's Done. And there are many factors that would have prolonged those talks. And, yeah, I don't think it's necessarily Thursday's game. And you've got to remember in all of this as well that, you know, Eze's preference was always, if possible, to join Arsenal. He was in their academy at an early age. He is said to be a fan of the club. And from what I hear in multiple conversations, you know, he was asking people over a long period of time, you know, are Arsenal there? This Mikael Arteta want me? He was sort of pushing teammates and things like that to try and explore this situation. So I think there would have been a bit of residual intrigue on his part of whether this would ever come about. However, I've got to make clear that Tottenham got a deal done with Crystal palace and with the player. It was ready to rumble and it was very much in its final stages before Arsenal came and did this. People will have their verdicts and versions of events and opinions, but I don't know what more Tottenham could have done in this situation.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

You mentioned dragging negotiations a couple of times now, David. Spurs fans are surely going to be angry at Daniel Levy. How come spurs didn't get this over the line much quicker?

[David Ornstein]

Well, unless we're in this negotiation and privy to all the facts, we're speculating as to why it dragged on. And that leads us all, myself included, to risk making uneducated guesses as to why Tottenham didn't line this and why Arsenal did. And there may be some legitimate criticisms of any side in this situation, and there may be some really unfair ones as well. And so, you know, there will be, I'm sure, some feeling on the Tottenham part that Crystal palace didn't make it easy, and on the Crystal palace part that Tottenham didn't make it easy. And ultimately Arsenal come through and are set to get a player that makes it look like a great victory for them, which it might prove to be. But it also might prove that Tottenham turn around and sign an even better player or somebody with a better value for money over the long run, or a higher ceiling. So what I'm saying is, like, we're predicting a lot of this and we're picking over things to be right or wrong that we just don't know in and amongst the emotion of a lot of this, whether it be celebrating Arsenal fans or commiserating Tottenham fans. It's clear that there were issues in the negotiation, but that's not uncommon. It happens all the time in the transfer market when people have their priorities and are defending their own interests. And so the recriminations, I think, are slightly misplaced, unless you know exactly what has happened, and I don't in that sense. What is clear is that Tottenham went to a really far extent on this. They even were prepared to go to the release clause sort of value when it emerged that Arsenal were in. But by this point, Arsenal were prepared to match that and the player wanted Arsenal. And that's the crucial factor in this, because in that sense, Tottenham couldn't have done much more other than. Yeah, with hindsight, they could have wrapped it up quicker, but the player was ultimately, if he really wanted to join another team. Tottenham aren't going to go to an unreasonable level to convince someone that deep down doesn't want to be there and they do have other options. And from what we hear, and I don't know exact names, but those are some pretty ambitious. And we've heard about Savinho. There will be other players too. Reports of Akliush of Monaco and if they pursued a deal for somebody like him. I speak to a lot of people in football who think he's going to be one of the best attacking midfielders around and has outrageous potential. So I don't know all of the details and so I don't want to pontificate over it. And I also think a bit of calm is needed in this as well, to understand that just because it's a sort of spectacular situation now looks good for Arsenal, looks bad for Tottenham, that doesn't necessarily reflect the exact reality.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Now, you've answered one of my final two questions, really. One was, where do spurs go next? But the other one really is about Arsenal. Surely they have to sell. They spent over £250 million in this window.

[David Ornstein]

Yeah. I think Arsenal will, of course turn their priorities to outgoings, if they hadn't already. You know, it was clear with the expenditure in the window that Arsenal would need to shift some bodies. And we've talked about it for a long time. You know, we broke the news on Fabio, Vieira, Stuttgart being in talks for him. That's ongoing. It may end up, from what I hear, if it happens, being alone with an obligation to buy. And there's a bit of back and forth on the potential fee. Rhys Nelson, we reported on Fulham, they were close. That doesn't ever mean it's done. But if you're close, it's a situation that could still unfold in that direction. Maybe there's other interests too. Maybe a Zinchenko, if the market develops around him. Some people point to a Trossard James McNicholas on the Athletic revealed that a sort of amended contract has been agreed. So you suspect that he's staying Now, Gabriel Martinelli has had some interest. Bayern Munich during this window and I think there were some links to Aston Villa, let's see. Because you know, that's a part of the pitch, that left side where sort of Martinelli and Trossard occupy that. Arsenal, I think, were quite keen to try and upgrade in now, whether they deploy Eze towards that side. If and when this deal is done, we' wait and see. But there is potential there for Arsenal to recoup money. It was high on the agenda. It's going to have to be even higher now. However, you don't need to do all of that business before the summer transfer window closes. You could do some of it in the January 2026 window, in the summer 2026 window up until June 30th to balance your books. Arsenal had a lot of headroom on Premier League psr, so that's one thing in their favor. They did not have a lot of headroom on UEFA's FFP Financial Fair play rules. They are tight on that and so some maneuvering will need to be done. But right now I'm not getting any sense that they're in a panicked situation. They do need to trade out better than they've done in the past. Their sales have not been as impressive as some of their rivals. People have been pointing out Alex Oxlade Chamberlain remains their record sales some years ago and so they're going to have to improve on that front. We've seen the chapter of Andrea Berta, the new sporting director, impressing people with his inward recruitment. And now will be a test of his qualities outbound. We're hearing really good things about him, how he operates. We're seeing the seasoned professional, very experienced and high level that built his reputation at Atletico Madrid. He's said to be one of the leading professionals in football in this kind of role. But it's not all about the signings, it's about the sales too. And so let's see what he and Arsenal can do.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Well, David, it's been quite the 24 hours, hasn't it? I'll let you get back to your holiday. Really appreciate your time, sir.

[David Ornstein]

Cheers.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Well, next, let's get the reaction from both sides of North London.

[Derek Clason]

Hi, I'm Derek Clason, host of the Athletic Football Show. Today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile, offering reliable nationwide coverage backed by a 30 day money back guarantee Love your service or get your money back, no questions asked. Boost Mobile offers the same nationwide coverage, network, speed and service consumers are used to, but at more affordable prices. Why would you pay more if you don't have to? Boost Mobile also understands that change can be scary, which is why they allow you to try their service risk free for 30 days. And if you're not happy, you can get your money back. So start saving on wireless to today with Boost Mobile's unlimited plans starting at just $25 a month. Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or find us [e-mail] After 30GB, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan. Customers who cancel within 30 days of activation will have Boost service fees refunded, activation fees if applicable, and phone payments will not be refunded. The Boost Mobile network, together with their robot roaming partners, covers 98 of the US population. 5G speeds are not available in all areas Lemonade Sings a Pet Insurance Customer.

[David Ornstein]

Review My new puppy swallowed a bone.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Still a good boy though. And boy was I glad that I had lemonade.

[Adrian Clarke]

I was paid back quickly and efficiently.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Every everyone was so nice. Get this pet insurance.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

And get a'@lemonade.com.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Pet why choose a sleep number Smart bed?

Can I make my site softer?

[David Ornstein]

Can I make my site firmer?

[Derek Clason]

Can we sleep cooler?

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Sleep number does that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort on either side your sleep number setting. It's the sleep number biggest sale of the year. All beds on sale up to 50% off the limited edition smart bed limited time All Sleep number Smart beds offer temperature solutions for your best sleep.

[Adrian Clarke]

Check it out at a Sleep number.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Store or sleepnumber.com today.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

While joining us now is our top number writer Jack Pitt Brooke as well as Adrian Clark from the Athletics Arsenal podcast Handbrake Off. Right Jack, let's start with you on this one. Morgan Gibbs White Now E Fair to say Tottenham fans can't be happy that they've lost out on those two potential massive signings.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, it's fair to say it's pretty not a happy time at the moment in spurs world. There's a lot of a lot of annoyed and frustrated fans out there. I think that to have got so close to two seriously good Premier League proven midfielders this summer and to have landed neither of them both in, let's say slightly unusual circumstances is deeply frustrating. You know you can maybe as a fan you can maybe Accept it once and then when it happens again, I know the circumstances are different between Gibbs White and Eze, I think, yeah, it's left a lot of fans feeling pretty frustrated because everybody knew what a fantastic player as they would have been. All week people have been talking about this would be not our best signing for years. You know, stuff like that. And I think it's, I think I said on the show last week he would have been, he would have come in and been Tottenham's best player. He's an amazing player who would have massively elevated the level of the team and now he's going to go and play for Arsenal instead. So yeah, it's, it's a pretty tough one to take for a lot of spurs fans out there.

[David Ornstein]

Yeah.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

How big is this in terms of the fact that, I mean James Madison, that was the big issue really is that there's no cover there and I'm sure Spurs will have other names on their list. But in terms of the level of quality that Eze potentially could bring to spurs, is that why it stings a little bit more?

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Oh yeah, it's a massive factor. I mean, Tottenham have got two, I think two very good creative midfielders, Diane Kulasevski and James Madison, but they're both out with long term knee injuries. You know, Madison did his ACL during the Asia tour. He had surgery. I think he'll be out for a lot of this season. Kulasevski had knee surgery in May. I don't think he's going to be back anytime soon. And so they obviously need more quality in that like everyone. That's been very, very clear for a long time now. If they'd got Gibbs White it would have been less of an issue because that's the position that he plays in as a slightly different type profile of player. But he obviously would bring a huge amount of creative quality and match winning skill in that area of the pitch. And now they're facing a reality where they've got Madison and Kulasevski injured. Gibbs White has signed a new contract to Forest and as is going to Arsenal. So it does leave them really, really short. And I do feel a lot for Thomas Frank who I think has made a pretty good start for. But he's going to have to be even more adaptable, even more pragmatic, find different solutions because he doesn't really have that match winning creative quality in the middle of the pitch.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Adrian, I almost don't want to come to you because I can feel the glee coming off the screen right now, in terms of, you know, Arsenal getting one over on their rivals.

[Adrian Clarke]

Yeah, look, it's. It's an all timer, isn't it, in the world of Hijax, it's a brilliant signing first and foremost. The perfect signing really, in my opinion for Arsenal need. But the nature of it coming in right at the end to sort of steal him away from, from your big rivals up the road is. It doesn't really get any sweeter than that in terms of. Of transfer activity. So. So Arsenal fans are absolutely joyous at the moment and I have to say, in terms of signings, I don't think I can remember one player uniting the fan base in such a powerful way as, As a. I don't think I know an Arsenal fan that didn't want him. So. So it's a really exciting moment.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah, I've seen tweets and X's around Sol Campbell and all that kind of stuff. Is it even sweeter because it is Tottenham. Is it even sweeter that this was a huge target for Tottenham that Arsenal technically we thought was sort of out the races for and then last minute they come up trumps again?

[Adrian Clarke]

Yeah, spurs had the last laugh last season, didn't they? Winning win a trophy, which was fantastic for them. But yeah, I think Arsenal fans were waiting for a moment to sort of take avenge and this is it. Look, it's just the pull of Arsenal. I don't, in fairness to Tottenham and the hierarchy, I don't think that they should beat themselves up that much. The player ultimately knew that Arsenal were interested and he preferred Arsenal. And for whatever reason, I know he's got a historical link to Arsenal. He's an Arsenal supporter. Arsenal are always also a stronger team. So you can't blame him for preferring that destination. It was just the case. I did feel once that deal dragged on a little bit, my sense was that maybe Eze was waiting, waiting to see if Arsenal would swoop. And yeah, the timing of it, the drama of it, it's up there, isn't it, with. With one of the sort of most exciting acquisitions, you know, in recent times in the Premier League. Absolutely loving it.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah. And there's. There's an interesting story about Emmanuel Petit going to spurs and then obviously going straight to. To Arsenal in a cab paid for by Spurs. And you know, these stories have emerged again as well across the Internet. So this is a really interesting one to keep our eye on. Jack, we've spoken before about Daniel Levy not giving managers the required backing to. Does this threaten or undermine Thomas Frank's position because he's trying to build something here. But then I sort of look at it and surely it's not Thomas Frank's fault or spurs fault that Eze has chosen Arsenal instead.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

No, I don't think it is Daniel Levy's fault in this instance. I know that's maybe not what Tottenham fans will want to hear. There's obviously a lot of anger out there, but I think that it's kind of hard to see what more Tottenham could have done. You know, in the end they were happy to pay the money for ez. You know, if it takes. Well, it takes three parties to do a deal, doesn't it? It takes the buying club, the selling club and the player. And if they can't all agree on the same, then you're not going to get a deal. So I don't think this is a case necessarily of Levy not backing Frank. Like, I think that he, he obviously, you know, I think that in many ways, like, Tottenham did enough under normal circumstances to sign Gibbs White. They did enough under normal circumstances to sign as a. That all said, clearly Tottenham would be a better team with either of those two guys in the team on the pitch. You know, like, they, they obviously have an issue there in that area. And I think that it's going to make Thomas Frank's job harder this season because he's got lots of very. He's got lots of sort of physical defensive midfielders. He's got. But he's not really got guys who can like, play that clever final pass, you know, that give you that bit of magic, that bit of. That bit of genius. And so I think it does make his job harder. But I don't, I don't blame Levy as much as some people will do.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Adrian, in terms of the dressing room, I'm just trying to flip it the other way. Imagine if Gyokores was taken by another team, a player that Arsenal had been. Had been chasing and what impact that would have on a dress room that was expecting that level of talent. Do you think it could also have the same, same effect when it comes to the spurs dressing room? Because there have been conversations about as they potentially coming to them all this transfer window.

[Adrian Clarke]

I think footballers are quite resilient, really. I don't think it will affect them too much. Yeah, they'll be a little bit demoralized and be like sort of, you know, can't believe it, you know, absolute joker. But I think Tottenham's players will know where their team, where their club is in, in the food chain. At the moment and at the moment they are behind Arsenal in terms of quality, in terms of aspirations, in terms of what what the team can achieve. And they're all footballers. They're all footballers. They all have their own individual careers, their own journeys and pathways. And I don't think they would begrudge as a move to Arsenal if that's what he prefers. I think it's just the way it goes. Footballers don't get too excited about signings until they're actually in the building because we all know that things can change last minute. So no, I don't think it'll impact Tottenham too much. It will frustrate them because they will know that he was a player that could have taken them maybe to the next level. At the moment they have aspirations for a top six, top eight, top six finish E coming in would have got them dreaming of top four for sure. So that will be the frustration. But the players will get on with it okay, Fair.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Well, next we'll get into where Eze could fit in Arsenal.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM. This season we'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code theathletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code theathletic. Make your first deposit of at least $10. Place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers. Not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 In New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP In Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 Massachusetts 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help In Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 In Puerto Rico, first bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget if you haven't signed up for bedmgm yet, use bonus code theathletic and you'll get a one year Subscription to the athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.

Popsicles, sprinklers, a cool breeze. Talk about refreshing. You know what else is refreshing this summer? A brand new phone with Verizon. Yep. Get a new phone on any plan with select phone. Trade in in MyPlan and locked on a low price for three years on any plan with MyPlan. This is a deal for everyone whether you're a new or existing customer. Swing by Verizon today for our best phone deals. 3 year price guarantee applies to then current based monthly rate only. Additional terms and conditions apply for all offers. Bombas makes the most comfortable socks, underwear and T shirts.

[Adrian Clarke]

Bombas are so absurdly comfortable you may.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Throw out all your other clothes.

Sorry, do we legally have to say that?

[Adrian Clarke]

No, this is just how I talk. And I really love my Bombas.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

They do feel that good. And they do good too. One item purchased equals one item donated. To feel good and do good, go to bombas.com and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's b o m b dash dot com and use code audio at checkout.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah, Adrian, why do they need him? Be honest, because I still see him as a bit of a luxury signing. And also, where do you think he fits, fits into this system?

[Adrian Clarke]

It's a good question because there's no obvious answer to where he fits in. I just think that this Arsenal team, this Arsenal squad needed a maverick talent, somebody different with a profile that can, can unlock the door, create moments of magic in a different kind of way. Mikhail Arteta has some great players, some brilliant individuals, but as a team, Arsenal have been a little bit too structured in my opinion, a little bit too formulaic in terms of the way that, that they attack. And that has at times made them easier to defend against than some other teams. So what Eze brings is positional unpredictability. You might, one minute he might be on the left, the next he'll be in the number 10 role. Sometimes he'll pick the ball up deep, sometimes he'll go in beyond the final man. Yeah, I remember him scoring, scoring or making goals, making runs beyond the offside line on numerous occasions for Crystal Palace. So he, yeah, he just is a player that, that unlocks the door and will absolutely draw attention away from a Victor Yokerez. He would draw some attention away from Bukayo Saka who has been sort of double marked for the last two or three seasons. And now opponents will, you know, they'll have to spread Their resources and their concentration. And that I think has to be good news for the team as a whole.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah, just very quickly, Jack, I'm going to come to you in a second in terms of the significance of this move to Arsenal. Obvious as ace to play for Arsenal in the academy as a youngster. Amy Lawrence has spoken about, you know, how much there is a romantic twist into Arsenal summer. It's interesting because on one side he was going to Tottenham. There was conversations there and then last minute there's a quick change of heart. Is it one that pulls at the heartstrings? Unfinished business?

[Adrian Clarke]

Only he can answer that, but yeah, I would imagine so. I think he will be chuffed a bit. It's look asked for the team that he's supported by all accounts. So that is a massive pull. He'll want to. He dreamed as a kid of wearing the red and white. He dreamed of playing at Emirates and that dream was taken away from him. And now he's been given a second chance. He's going to be so hungry, so hungry to become a hero among the supporters of which he's been one. So he would have been happy to go to Tottenham. I've got no doubt about that. It would have been a step up. It had played Champions League football. He played in a team that would have suited him. I'm sure he would have been their main man a lot of that. It ticked so many boxes. But unfortunately for Tottenham, Arsenal was the dream destination. And as soon as he became aware that that bid was serious, then I don't think there's anything that Daniel Levy, Thomas, Frank or anyone at spurs could have done about it. It's. It's just unfortunate from their end.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Okay, Jack, there are other permutations here and I think about the. His England place. He's emerging as, you know, an England player. Does this do damage to that? Because I'm thinking, you know, if he goes to Tottenham, there's a lot of game time there. Who says he might not get that game time at Arsenal? But the window or the view of EZ at Tottenham playing week in, week out surely might be better for his England prospects.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, maybe. I think he would have been a more integral player at Tottenham than he will be at Arsenal. But I still think he'll play a lot at Arsenal. Like I think he's, you know, Arsenal have got. Will have tons of games this season. They'll. They'll go far in all four competitions. They don't really have a player quite like him. I don't think. Obviously they start what, Martinelli at Man United on the weekend? Like, you know, I think a lot, a lot of Arsenal fans would have essay in over Martinelli anyway. Like, I think that obviously Arteta will. He likes to have lots of different types of players to play in that front line who can offer him different tactical solutions. And so plausibly there'll be games where he'll want as a. Or maybe games where he'll want a different type of profile, but I don't think he's going to be starved of minutes at Arsenal, put it that way. But I think ultimately like in either, like had he gone to Tottenham or in the case of him going to Arsenal, I think it's great for his England career either way, he's playing with a higher level of players playing in the Champions League. You know, I think tonight will be his first ever game in European competition. Right. Which is kind of amazing for such a good player who's not. He's not a kid either. He's 27 now. So I think that Thomas Tuchel will probably think he's really looking forward to seeing as a play at a higher level in higher quality competition and seeing how he does. And I think he's got every chance of having a really big role in England's team at the World cup next summer.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

On Monday, Adrian, we spoke about Victor Jocher and also how he being a win now signing, surely Eze at the age of 27, he sort of slips into that bracket as well.

[Adrian Clarke]

Yeah, he does, yeah. But 27 isn't old but, but he's, he's probably at the peak of his, of his career at the moment and Arsenal have got him at just the right time. He's just effortless in the way that he's sort of going past players, isn't he? I mean for dribbles, I think he ranked fourth last season. The one area that he will really add to his shots, he gets himself into goal scoring positions, shooting positions a lot. And Arsenal probably sort of Trafford. Arsenal didn't have many, many efforts on goal, did they? I think he will, he will up their shot count. I think no one had more efforts from outside the box, for example, than is a last season. So he's going to give, you know, a new sort of armoury to Arsenal in, in that department. So yeah, just really, really excited to see, see how he fits in. And Jack's right, if it had been available for the Manchester United game, I'd say 90 to 95% of Arsenal fans would have preferred Eze to start in that left side position. You don't have to stay on the wing in this Arsenal team. I think Michael Arteta wants to bring more chaos, more fluidity to the team and some of those counter attacking moments that are where Arsenal fluff their lines at Old Trafford. I'm pretty confident that Eze would have produced better quality in those moments. I just think this is a dream signing, not just for the fans, but maybe also for Victor Jokers. I really do, because Jokerz wants early passes played in beyond the last man and Esse has been doing that for Mateta for the last 18 months, two years, quite brilliantly. So. Yeah, I can't wait to see what he brings.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah, for sure. Quickly, Jack, we've spoken about it. He's going to be playing in European football potentially tonight against Frederick. Is this a bit of a risky one when someone's just made a. Has been committed to another team? You know, surely the last thing Arsenal fans want right now is for Eze to come out of this match injured and then there he goes. That. That signing becomes a bit dud.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Yeah, you're right, it is. It is quite unusual. I think in these circumstances it's more normal for a player who's about to make a move to not play and to be held back so that they can. So that they can do their medical the next day. I don't know exactly why he's playing, although I wouldn't be too surprised if he feels like he wants to. You know, palace has been hugely important to him over the last five years. It's obviously a very significant moment for Crystal Palace. Even putting aside all the mess this summer with having to change competitions and UEFA and Cass and so on, it's still a big night for them and maybe he wants to be part of it. And I do know. What I do know for certain is that when he left Queen's Park Rangers in 2020, it was very important to him to leave on good terms. And if you speak to anybody at QPR now, they could not spe any higher of E, not just as a player, but as a person. He's absolutely loved by everybody at QPR and still is. And, you know, he still knows everybody. When he. When I think palace played QPR recently, I think in the FA cup last season, and, you know, he made sure he said hi to everybody and remembered everybody's names and faces and all that stuff. So I think he's. He's definitely somebody who wants to leave clubs in a good way in a. In a kind of dignified and respectful way. And I just wonder whether that's part of the, the thinking behind him playing in Europe tonight. Although I can't say I know that for absolutely certain.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

All right, I know you guys are super, super busy today. I know. Jack, you'll be recording View from the Lane, our Spurs podcast a little later on. And Adrian, also give us a little chat about what's going on on YouTube. You've got a show on YouTube?

[Adrian Clarke]

Yeah, yeah. Started my own YouTube channel, yeah. This summer. So yeah, which is quite exciting. I thought let's, let's have a go. And I've been blown away by the amount of people that have been watching the video. So, yeah, chuffed to bits and yeah, just producing sort of my own analysis previews, you know, reviews of games. And I did do a video on, on Eze a few weeks ago saying yes, please, that old video.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

But you got your wish.

[Adrian Clarke]

Yeah, that old video. I noticed, I noticed there's been a few people revisiting that over the last 12 hours or so, which is quite fun.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

Yeah, really nice. Very quickly, North London Derby. Jack, it's going to be an interesting reception for Eze when Arsenal face Spurs.

[Jack Pitt-Brooke]

Oh yeah, yeah. I mean, I think that spurs fans will probably make their, make their opinions known. But equally like I said, I think, I think at the moment lots of fans are probably more frustrated about the fact the deal hasn't happened maybe rather than with EZ himself. But yeah, I mean it's not a difficult one to point to in the diary as being a, you know, a game that needs no extra edge.

[David Ornstein]

Anyway.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

All right gents, let's end it there. Adrian, Jack, thanks for your time and also David Ornstein, thank you so much for joining us and also thank you guys for listening. Matt Davies Adams will be with you tomorrow ahead of the Premier League weekend including a Spicy1 at St. James park as Liverpool head to Newcastle. Catch you soon.

[David Ornstein]

You've been listening to the Athletic FC podcast.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavrou and Jay Beal.

[Adrian Clarke]

The executive producer was Aidy Moorhead.

[David Ornstein]

To listen to other great athletic podcasts.

[Adrian Clarke]

For free, search for the Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. The Athletic FC podcast is an athletic media company production.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

What makes a great pair of glasses? At Warby Parker, it's all the invisible extras without the extra cost. Their designer quality frames start at $95 including prescription lenses plus scratch resistant, smudge resistant and anti reflective coatings and UV protection and free adjustments for life. To find your next pair of glasses sunglasses or contact lenses. Or to find the Warby Parker store nearest you, head over to warbyparker.com that's.

[David Ornstein]

Warbyparker.Com Comcast Business High 5 Hotline I.

[Adrian Clarke]

Signed my business up for the 5.

[David Ornstein]

Year price lock guarantee and I can't.

[Derek Clason]

Stop high fiving people.

[David Ornstein]

That's perfectly natural when you sign up for gig speed, Internet and advanced security locked in at a great rate for five years.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Really?

[David Ornstein]

That's great news.

[Ayo Akimwaleere]

High Five everybody.

[David Ornstein]

The Comcast business 5 year price lock Guarantee is back, but only for a limited time. Sign up today.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

High five ends 92125 for new customers with qualifying bundle. Current customer eligibility varies by service and area. Guaranteed rate applies to monthly service charge excluding taxes and fees. Other restrictions apply. Hey, it's Maya and Sim from the Girls that Invest podcast. If you are an IT or security pro, you know managing devices, identities and applications can feel overwhelming and honestly radio risky. That's where Trelica by1Password comes in. It helps conquer SaaS, sprawl and shadow it by discovering every app your team uses, managed or not. With pre built app profiles, you can assess risk, manage, access and even optimize your software spend. Plus, IT simplifies onboarding, offboarding and compliance, all while cutting costs by eliminating unused licenses. Take the first step to better security for your team. Learn more at 1Password for com specialoffer.