Arsenal have an agreement on principle with Crystal Palace to sign Eberechi Eze.
The deal is worth in the region of the expired £68million (€78m, $91m) release clause, matching the level of fee Tottenham Hotspur were prepared to pay, and personal terms have been agreed.
The 27-year-old is expected to play for Palace against Fredrikstad in the Conference League play-off on Thursday before undergoing a medical with the north London club.
The operation was executed by Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and vice-chairman Tim Lewis.
Eze is set to become Arsenal’s seventh signing of what has been a busy first summer under Berta since his arrival from Atletico Madrid.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, defender Cristhian Mosquera, midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, winger Noni Madueke and striker Viktor Gyokeres have all moved to the Emirates Stadium.
The move for Eze, who was a boyhood Arsenal fan and played for the club’s academy, follows the injury for Kai Havertz, who is being assessed and could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Eze joined Palace from QPR in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth around £17m and has made 169 appearances for the south London club, scoring 40 times. He has been capped 12 times by England, scoring once.
