Arsenal have completed the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
The Gunners announced Eze’s signing on their website on Saturday before their Premier League game against Leeds United.
The England international signed a four-year deal with the option of a further year in a deal worth £60m plus £8m in add-ons.
He has been handed the number 10 shirt, previously worn by the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Özil and Robin van Persie.
Eze is making a return to Arsenal after starting his career at the club before he was released in 2011.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is delighted to add Eze to the team, expressing his admiration for the England international.
He said, “We are absolutely delighted to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. He is a powerful and exciting player who will give us a new dimension in our attacking game. What stands out just as much as his talent and intelligence as a player is the way he has worked hard throughout his career to get where he is today.
“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 be joining our club. We all look forward to starting to work with Eberechi soon.”
Arsenal’s Sporting Director Andrea Berta praised Eze’s technical ability, describing him as a big-game player.
He said, “We are so pleased to have completed this deal to bring Eberechi to Arsenal. Eberechi is a creative and explosive talent with huge technical quality – also a big-game player, with his experience at the international level with England also underlining his quality and character.
“There has been excellent teamwork across the club to make this transfer happen, and we are very confident Eberechi will be an important addition to our squad as we continue to build for success.”
Arsenal hijacked Eze from their North London rivals Tottenham after Thomas Frank’s side advanced in talks with Crystal Palace for Eze, but the Gunners swooped in after Kai Havertz’s injury.
Eze is Arsenal’s seventh signing of the season after the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, and Viktor Gyokeres.
He is expected to make his Arsenal debut against Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday.
