September 4th 2024.
Eberechi Eze, the talented Crystal Palace midfielder, has been making headlines lately with his impressive performance on the field. In just four games this season, he has already scored two goals, leaving fans and critics alike in awe of his skills. Even the chairman and co-owner of Crystal Palace, Steve Parish, admits to being "astounded" by the lack of transfer interest in Eze from other clubs in England.
Despite facing some injury setbacks, Eze had a spectacular season in 2023/24, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 31 appearances for the Eagles. This earned him a well-deserved spot in Gareth Southgate's squad for Euro 2024, where he made three appearances off the bench as England reached the final. It's safe to say that Eze has been on a roll, and he has continued his fine form into the new season, including a stunning strike in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
However, things could have turned out very differently for Eze and Crystal Palace. Over the summer, the club was prepared to receive big-money offers for their star players, including Eze, who had a release clause worth around £60 million. Tottenham and Manchester City were both interested in the 26-year-old, but surprisingly, no bids were made. This left Parish baffled, as he had expected Eze to attract a lot of attention from other clubs.
"I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael [Olise] and Ebs in the same window," Parish shared in an interview with Sky Sports. "We didn't have the interest in Ebs that I thought we would have. I was astounded. Genuinely astounded."
Parish went on to praise Eze, describing him as an outstanding footballer and an outstanding person. He also acknowledged that Eze's desire to play at the highest level is understandable, as he is now a regular in the England squad. However, Parish is grateful that Eze is still with Crystal Palace, providing a valuable asset to the team.
It is believed that Eze's release clause has now expired, and the player still has three years left on his contract. Despite this, there were rumors of Eze potentially leaving the club, with Newcastle reportedly interested in signing him for a whopping £65 million. However, Palace's decision not to sell their other star center-back, Joachim Andersen, to Fulham for £30 million may have played a role in Eze staying put.
Speaking about the summer transfer window, Parish stated, "I don't think the window worked out exactly the same format that we thought it would. Maybe we thought at the beginning it would be more likely that Marc Guehi went and we kept Joachim Andersen. We accepted that bid [for Andersen], which then made it very difficult to sell both of our starting center-backs in one window."
Parish also mentioned that an injury to Chadi Riad further complicated matters, making it impossible for the club to consider selling Eze at that point. In the end, Palace did make two significant sales, with Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich for over £50 million and Joachim Andersen moving to Fulham for £30 million. However, Eze remains an integral part of the team, and Palace is thrilled to have him on their side for the upcoming season.
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