Eberechi Oluchi Eze, born June 29, 1998, in Greenwich, Greater London, to Igbo Nigerian parents, has officially joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace in a deal worth an initial £60 million ($81.2 million), with potential add-ons of £7.5 million.
The 27-year-old England international has signed a four-year contract with an option for a further year and will don the iconic No. 10 shirt for the North London club.
After finalizing the transfer, Arsenal Sporting Director Andrea Berta said, “We are so pleased to welcome Eberechi to Arsenal. Eberechi is a creative and explosive talent with huge technical quality – also a big-game player, with his experience at international level with England further underlining his quality and character.
“There has been excellent teamwork across the club to make this transfer happen, and we are very confident that Eberechi will be an important addition to our squad as we continue to build for success.”
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta added, “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, mentality, and 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 work with Eberechi soon.”
Eze’s journey to this point has been marked by perseverance and determination. After being released from Arsenal’s academy at 13, he went on to face similar setbacks with Reading, Millwall, and Fulham.
However, his fortunes changed when Queens Park Rangers offered him a professional deal in 2016. Following a successful loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers in 2017-18, Eze became QPR’s player of the year in 2019-20.
In 2020, Eze joined Crystal Palace, where he went on to score 40 goals in 169 appearances, including the winning goal in the FA Cup final on May 17, 2025.
His impressive form continued as he played a key role in Crystal Palace’s Community Shield win against Liverpool on August 10, 2025, and delivered a strong performance in the team’s opening EPL game against Chelsea.
After completing his transfer to Arsenal on August 24, 2025, Eze expressed his gratitude to God in an initial interview, stating, “I can only thank God for the opportunity to be here, to be playing and to be recognised in this type of manner.
For me, this is what I wanted to do. [The club] is in me, it’s part of me, and I just feel so blessed. That just gives me more energy to keep pushing and keep working.” Eze’s words convey his immense appreciation for being recognized and joining the club, which holds deep significance for him and his family, motivating him to continue working hard.
