Eberechi Eze is a Gunner! Arsenal confirm £60m signing of Crystal Palace ace after pulling off incredible hijacking

Eze has put pen to paper on a long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, with Fabrizio Romano reporting the fee is £60 million (€68m/$81m) plus add-ons. The 27-year-old has become the Gunners' seventh summer signing following the earlier arrivals of Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Eze was originally close to joining Tottenham Hotspur but a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz has led to Arsenal stealing their rivals’ thunder by signing a player who they released from their academy 14 years ago, when he was just 13.

Speaking to Arsenal's official club website, manager Mikel Arteta expressed his delight at securing the signing of Eze, saying: "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, his mentality, and his 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 start working with Eberechi soon.”

Eze was officially presented as an Arsenal player ahead of their Premier League clash against newly-promoted Leeds United on Saturday. The England international, who will wear the No. 10 shirt, grinned from ear to ear as he embraced the home crowd at the Emirates.

Eze could make his Arsenal debut when they take on title rivals Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield on August 31. He could then make his first appearance at the Emirates when his new side host Nottingham Forest on September 13.