Arsenal legend Ian Wright has revealed just how close new signing Eberechi Eze was to joining Tottenham Hotspur before his family and faith played a decisive role in steering him towards the Gunners, according to a report from GiveMeSport.
Eze became Arsenal’s seventh summer signing after completing a £60 million move from Crystal Palace, but Wright explained that Spurs were on the verge of securing his signature only days earlier.
The north London rivals had struck an agreement with Palace before Arsenal swooped in, reacting swiftly to Kai Havertz’s knee injury suffered in the opening-day win over Manchester United.
With the 27-year-old a boyhood Arsenal supporter and former academy player, the opportunity to return to the club proved irresistible. A four-year deal was finalized, and Eze was unveiled to fans ahead of Arsenal’s 5-0 victory over Leeds United at the Emirates last weekend.
Speaking on the Stick to Football show, Wright said Eze’s family believed the turn of events was destined.
“It [the Spurs move] was done. He’s very God-fearing,” Wright explained. “They genuinely believe it’s happened because it’s meant to happen. That’s why, when he walked out of the tunnel, he couldn’t believe it had happened.”
On the significance of the move for Eze’s family, Wright added: “The whole family are Arsenal. You can imagine what they were going through, thinking he was going to play for Tottenham.
“The pure happiness and joy of him being at Arsenal, you just feel like it’s going to work out for him. He was let go by the club at 13 and now he’s come back. It’s where he wants to be.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also admitted the transfer was completed at breakneck speed.
“It was one of the fastest transfers I would say and one of the most unexpected,” Arteta said. “I thought it wasn’t happening, but at the last minute they managed to pull it off. It created some fire in the stadium, and that was great to witness. He has the capacity to create magic moments.”
For Eze, the move was as much about faith as football. Speaking in an interview with Wright for the club’s media channels, the midfielder said: “I can only thank God for the opportunity to be here. To be recognized in this manner is what I wanted to do. I feel so blessed.”