Where will Eberechi Eze play for Arsenal? Predicted XI with £67.5m signing
The hijack is on!
Is it even a summer transfer window without an almighty hijacking? Arsenal appear to have won the day against bitter rivals in the pursuit of Eberechi Eze.
The Crystal Palace star has been the subject of huge interest from several major clubs, with Spurs locked in talks with the Eagles over a £67.5 million deal – until the Gunners locked him in their sights.
Arsenal launched in with a bid of their own following an injury to Kai Havertz which could see him ruled out of action for a considerable period of time.
Eze is likely to become an Arsenal player in the days to come, but where exactly does he fit into Mikel Arteta's system?
RadioTimes.com takes a look at where Eberechi Eze may play for Arsenal this season.
Where will Eberechi Eze play for Arsenal?
The interesting part of Eze's Arsenal switch is that he doesn't fit neatly into any of the roles the Gunners currently deploy, but with a slight tweak to the system, he could become one of the best transfer signings of the window.
Left wing
Arsenal's most glaring hole in the team is down the left flank. On the right, they boast the world-class Bukayo Saka, backed up by Ethan Nwaneri, who looks primed to explode in the Premier League this season.
On the left, they started Gabriel Martinelli against Manchester United on the opening weekend with Leandro Trossard, who recently signed a new deal with the club, perhaps also in response to Havertz's injury, among the options to support.
Martinelli is a technically gifted footballer, but has been a source of frustration for Arsenal fans desiring a better final product.
The Gunners made a strange decision to add Noni Madueke to their ranks over the summer, not because he is a poor player, but because he predominantly plays down the right side. Eze's impending arrival brings balance to the team and he should lock down the left-wing spot immediately.
For Palace, Eze plays as a left-sided attacking midfielder, rather than a traditional touchline-hugging winger, with a wing-back storming up alongside him when necessary. In Arsenal's 4-3-3 system, he could act as a more narrow threat compared to Saka out wide on the right.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Gyökeres, Eze.
Left centre-midfield
Eze is a versatile player capable of dropping into several positions and making it work. There is a world that could see Eze drop slightly deeper into the second row of players behind the front three. Martin Ødegaard's form at Arsenal has come under increasing scrutiny and he could be the fall guy to make way for Eze.
Saka and Martinelli could continue to flank Gyökeres in the front three, while Eze could start slightly deeper in behind them, with the ability to carry the ball up the pitch, connecting Gyökeres to the supply lines behind him in the shape of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Rice and Zubimendi also offer a stable defensive platform which would free Eze to maraud up the pitch in the manner of a No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
