Arsenal have a clear path to sign Eberechi Eze, who is a man in demand this summer.
With Arsenal looking to tie a number of deals in the coming weeks, former Hale End academy graduate Eze has jumped to the top of the list when it comes to playmakers that the Gunners are looking at.
The England international enjoyed the best season of his career, FourFourTwo recognised him as the 39th best player in the Premier League last season and he capped it off with a goal in the FA Cup final to help Crystal Palace win their first ever major trophy.
Arsenal's path to Ebererchi Eze is now clear, but a hijack from Liverpool may lay in the way
Interest in Eze, who is recognised in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world, has been rife for some time, with rumours Tottenham and Manchester United were set to make a move for him.
However, a report from the Independent states that Arsenal would be his preferred destination should he leave south London this summer.
The report suggests that Liverpool may activate long-term interest, but no club has made a concrete approach for Eze yet.
FourFourTwo understands that should any club wish to sign the 27-year-old, they will need to activate his release clause an pay a minimum �60 million for him. A further �8 million in add-ons may also be paid, should certain criteria be met.
Arsenal are believed to want to negotiate a deal that would see them pay the �60 million in three �20 million instalments.
It is also believed that Arsenal's budget would not allow for the signing of Eze, unless major sales can be made. The Independent state that the budget only stretched to Martin Zubimendi, who is now officially an Arsenal player, and a forward, likely to be Viktor Gyokeres.
Gabriel Martinelli leaving has been ruled out and it remains to be seen whether the sales of fringe players would raise enough budget to complete a deal for the creative midfielder, who has 11 caps for England.
In FourFourTwo's view, signing Eze would release huge pressure on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. These two are the Gunners' main creative outlets, and adding Eze, who can play off the left-hand side, into the mix would cause havoc for opposition players.
For Eze though, there is no guarantee of regular minutes. He is the star man at Crystal Palace and is given the freedom of the pitch whenever he plays, and moving to the Emirates could see his minutes significantly diminished.
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