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.