Crystal Palace were convinced that star man Eberechi Eze would leave Selhurst Park this summer and were prepared for his departure as they lined up a deal for PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko.
Eze has developed into one of the best players in the Premier League and was outstanding for Palace during the 2023/24 campaign. The 26-year-old produced 11 goals and four assists across 27 league games for the Eagles last season and that earned him a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.
It also caught the attention of Tottenham, who appreciate the midfielder and considered a move during the latest transfer window, but Spurs never submitted a formal bid for the Palace talent, reported Fabrizio Romano in one of his columns for CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing this week.
According to The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, Crystal Palace were so convinced Eze would leave this summer that they lined up a deal for PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko as his replacement.
The 21-year-old is one of the Eredivisie’s most highly-rated talents but the London club never needed to make a move for the Belgian star.
Why did Tottenham target Eberechi Eze stay at Crystal Palace?
Fabrizio Romano told CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column this week that Eze remained at Crystal Palace for the 2024/25 campaign due to no club submitting a formal bid for the England star.
“There was a release clause in his contract with the Eagles, so the situation this summer was never about whether the club would have accepted or declined offers for Eze or not,” the transfer journalist said.
“If any club had come in and paid the release clause, there was nothing Palace could’ve done about it and the decision to move would’ve rested with Eze himself.”
Romano continued by saying: “No club did trigger the release clause and there were no concrete contacts so in the end, that was the reason he remained at Selhurst Park.
“Man City for sure had him on their list in 2023, and it’s true that Tottenham appreciate him, but there was never any formal bid presented from either club or any other this summer.”
It remains to be seen if the top Premier League club’s target Eze in 2025 as the 26-year-old is expected to produce another special season at Selhurst Park under Oliver Glasner’s guidance.