Chelsea given green light to beat Arsenal to Eberechi Eze deal: report

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has made another signing ahead of the new season
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca wants to make another signing ahead of the new season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea enjoyed a good 2024/25 season.

Enzo Maresca lead them back to the Champions League, won the Europa Conference League and guided them to a Club World Cup final win against PSG.

There's a positive mood surrounding the club currently, even despite the significant overhaul each transfer window seems to bring.

Chelsea striker Joao Pedro arrived from Brighton in a deal worth £60m

Chelsea striker Joao Pedro arrived from Brighton in a deal worth £60m (Image credit: Getty Images)

They've continued the scattergun transfer approach and already added a significant firepower to their team, with Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap all moving to west London this summer.

It's hard to pick a weakness in the squad, give just how many options Chelsea have at their disposal, yet they are still looking to strengthen the squad.

Chelsea striker Liam Delap joined from Ipswich Town this summer

Chelsea striker Liam Delap joined from Ipswich Town this summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

The latest player to be linked with the Blues is Arsenal target Eberechi Eze, with TEAMtalk suggesting the world champions have opened talks with the 26-year-old.

They view Eze, who is recognised in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world, as a cost effective alternative to Morgan Rogers, who they estimate would cost £90 million to sign from Aston Villa.

Eze has a release clause of £68 million, that Chelsea feel is a more realistic option for them this summer.

If they were to be successful in signing Eze, it would see them swoop in ahead of Arsenal, who have been trying to sign the England international for several weeks. Arsenal's focus switched to signing Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera, leaving Chelsea a clear path at Eze, should they wish to take it.

Eberechi Eze celebrates after scoring for Crystal Palace against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, April 2025

Eberechi Eze celebrates after scoring for Crystal Palace against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, April 2025 (Image credit: Alamy)

Whilst it would be exciting to see Eze lining up alongside some of the stars in Chelsea's team, he would probably play second fiddle to several players across the attacking positions.

With it being a World Cup year, more minutes and more importance at Crystal Palace, or Arsenal, should they come back in and try and sign him, may appeal to Eze more.

Transfermarkt currently value Eze at €55 million.

Ewan Gennery
Freelance writer

Ewan is a freelance writer and social media manager who has worked for The Athletic, GOAL, 90min and OneFootball. From Gelsenkirchen to Riyadh, he has covered some of the biggest games in football in his three years in the industry.

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