Mikel Arteta reveals Eberechi Eze PHONED him as he was about to join Tottenham… before Arsenal swooped in with £67.5m deal with Crystal Palace
Mikel Arteta says that Eze called him before his proposed move to Tottenham. [@beINSPORTS_EN]
— Gunners (@Gunnersc0m) August 23, 2025
Mikel Arteta has revealed Eberechi Eze phoned him as he was about to join Tottenham.
Arsenal left their north London rivals red-faced on Wednesday night when they reached an agreement in principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eze, 27.
Eze had looked Spurs-bound after they spent 10 days negotiating over a deal worth £55million plus add-ons – only for Arsenal to sneak in at the last minute with a bid worth £67.5m.
The 27-year-old completed the move to Arsenal on Saturday and was unveiled in front of fans before their 5-0 win over Leeds.
A report from The Athletic claims that Eze got in contact with Mikel Arteta just as he was about to commit to Tottenham.
When asked if it was true, Arteta said: ‘That shows you how much he wanted to come.
‘It’s very different sometimes because you want to be very open and transparent with the players as they have to make decisions in their careers but I’m delighted to have him.
‘I’m delighted to have him, I can tell how much it means to him and his whole family.’