Palace Sign Eberechi Eze on Five-year Deal

Crystal Palace have won the race for QPR starlet Eberechi Eze, who has formed the subject of intense speculation over a move to the Premier League over previous weeks.

The club announced the addition of Eze to their ranks on Friday, having agreed a deal with QPR earlier in the week.

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The young talent will join up with Roy Hodgson’s side on a five-year contract, keeping Eze at the club potentially until to 2025 as the player enters his prime years.

The impressive young talent managed to score 14 goals in the 2019/20 EFL Championship, alerting a host of Premier League clubs – including early movers Crystal Palace – to his prolific abilities.

The versatile player, who was recently called up to Aidy Boothroyd’s U21 England squad, is prized for his flair, agility, ability to drive play forwards and his goalscoring threat. He can play as a modern number 10 behind a striker or out wide on the left as a winger.

It was widely reported that Palace had been long-term admirers of Eze but faced fierce competition for his signature from the likes of West Ham and Premier League newcomers West Bromwich Albion. Indeed, QPR had been subject to late interest from the Baggies, but it is believed that Eze preferred a move to south London and was keen on the long-term project of the club.

The fee is believed to be an initial payment of £15 to £16 million, rising by an extra £3.5m with add-ons included. This represents a significantly improved deal for QPR after a deal worth a total of £12 million was rejected by Queen’s Park Rangers from Palace.

Speaking to the CPFC website, club chairman Steve Parish said of Eze: “Eberechi is a player whose development we have followed closely. We are delighted he has chosen to sign for us over the other clubs that were interested and we feel that this is the right club for him to continue his development.

“With our Academy recently securing Category 1 status, this further illustrates our focus on youth as we look to consolidate and improve upon our position as a Premier League club.”

The player himself was delighted to be a Premier League player. Speaking to the club website, Eze said: “As a football club, I feel like there are great players here and it’s a brilliant opportunity for me to come and be with these players, to link up with them and to really push on.”

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The length of the deal is no coincidence – it is a testament to the philosophy of the club’s summer recruitment plans. Investing in young, promising talent in order to rebuild the squad for the future is likely to be at the heart of the Eagles’ transfer activity.

As a result, Palace securing Eze’s signature represents a shrewd summer signing. The abilities of Eze to create chances, link up with strikers and carry the ball forward are all qualities that the Eagles have severely lacked over the course of the previous season. At just 22, the fact that Eze is by no means a finished article is a mouth-watering prospect.

There is even an injection of cultural resonance with this signing: Eze himself was born in Greenwich and is a south Londoner himself. His self-professed desire to play as an ‘entertainer’ in his interview with Crystal Palace, coupled with his flair and technically-gifted style of play, forges a formidable mould for Eze to serve as a fan favourite for years to come.

Palace fans far and wide have every reason to be jubilant with the news of Eze’s long-term commitment to the club.