Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and now a significant update has emerged regarding his future.
Will Eberechi Eze leave Crystal Palace?
With Wilfried Zaha departing Selhurst Park earlier in the summer, Eze has become arguably the star player at the club currently, having shone greatly since arriving from Queens Park Rangers in 2020.
The 25-year-old has dazzled with his quick feet and creativity, scoring 15 goals and registering 11 assists in 96 Palace appearances, and given his age, his best years are likely to be ahead of him.
Eze is undoubtedly a prized asset for the Eagles, and worryingly recent reports have suggested that he could leave the club this summer, amid interest from Premier League champions Manchester City. They see him as a strong option to bring in and further bolster their squad, and they could look to sign him before the transfer deadline next Friday night.
What's the latest on Eberechi Eze's Crystal Palace future?
Speaking to Caught Offside [via Substack], journalist Fabrizio Romano provided a big update on Eze's future at Palace, saying he is set to stay put beyond the summer transfer window unless a crazy bid is made.
"At the moment, I am not aware of any Chelsea contact for Eze. Only Manchester City considered him last week but the treble-winners never sent any bid or started any negotiation as he’s considered untouchable by Hodgson and Crystal Palace.
"A crazy, crazy bid would be needed to even be considered – a lot more than the reported £60-65 million fee. From the Eagles’ point-of-view, it is clear – Eze stays!"
This is fantastic news for anyone of a Palace persuasion, with Eze someone they simply cannot afford to lose this summer, following the aforementioned exit of the talismanic Zaha.
The Englishman has been an impressive performer already this season, making things happen with his unpredictability in attacking midfield, averaging three key passes per game so far in 2023/24. To lose him at this point in his career would, therefore, be an absolutely enormous blow that would be hard to recover from.
It does look as though Eze is happy at Palace, however, joining Michael Olise in committing his future to the club, and with his current contract expiring in 2025, the hope is that he signs an extension sooner rather than later. That would be huge in terms of simply nailing him down to a contract and hopefully seeing him stay for many years to come, but also protecting his value at the same time.
The former QPR man has been lauded by teammate Joel Ward, who has called him both "incredible" and "mesmerising" in the recent past, and if he continues his current form, he could push for a place in England's squad at Euro 2024 next summer, having won one cap for the Three Lions to date.
There is always the worry that a move to City could appeal, so Palace fans will be wanting the window to shut as quickly as possible, but it would be most beneficial for his career to remain in south London for the time being.
