Manchester City trail Arsenal in race to sign £68 million attacking midfielder | OneFootball

Officials at the Etihad Stadium are looking increasingly unlikely to win the race for in-demand Crystal Palace and England attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze this summer.

Manchester City have been loosely linked with Eze in various windows, often admiring his technical prowess, ability to progress the ball in tight spaces, and creative threat in the final third. But with major investment already committed this summer – most notably in Lyon’s Rayan Cherki – it appears City may have moved on from his case.

With a release clause set at £68 million, such a valuation for the Crystal Palace star is being considered as steep by some clubs, especially given the congested market for attack-minded midfielders this summer. City’s initial exploration was made as part of wider planning in the event of exits, particularly Jack Grealish.

However, with Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders already arriving to add depth and future-proofing in central areas, there is a growing belief inside the City Football Academy that other clubs are now in stronger positions to strike a deal for Eberechi Eze.

Eze, who played a role for England at Euro 2024, is believed to be open to a move but seemingly has no intention of pushing through a transfer. Crystal Palace, for their part, are firm in their stance that his release clause must be triggered if any deal is to go through.

Now, according to a report from CaughtOffside, Arsenal are currently leading the race to sign Eberechi Eze, but perhaps unsurprisingly face stern competition with Bayern Munich seriously considering a move, while Liverpool are said to have entered the race and Chelsea are keeping tabs on the situation.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, both Manchester City and Manchester United are said to have made early contact with the player’s representatives, as Tottenham shift their focus to alternative targets in the market.

From a City standpoint, missing out on Eze may not be seen as a significant setback given their current roster. The arrival of Rayan Cherki provides a versatile option who can operate across the forward and midfield lines, while Phil Foden is looking to evolve into the side’s creative leader following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli following his expired contract.

It is perhaps worth noting that City have not completely closed the door on English-developed talent this summer. As reported earlier this window, Morgan Gibbs-White was previously a top target before City changed direction.

For now, though, all signs point to Manchester City monitoring developments concerning Eberechi Eze from a distance rather than accelerating their involvement. Arsenal appear increasingly confident of landing the player, and a deal could accelerate further in the coming weeks if Mikel Arteta pushes for attacking reinforcements following their narrow title misses.