According to sources, Manchester United has received a boost after finding that Crystal Palace offensive midfielder and target Eberechi Eze has refused a new contract at Selhurst Park.
Eberechi Eze to leave Crystal Palace?
The Premier League playmaker joined Roy Hodgson’s side from QPR in 2020 and has since made a total of 93 senior appearances, but despite still having two years remaining on his contract, there’s a chance he’ll be leaving before the end of the current transfer window.
The England international, who made his professional debut last month under Gareth Southgate, firmly established himself as the Eagles’ top-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 7.02, and this constant level of performance has brought him onto Erik Ten Hag’s notice.
Back in June, freelance football writer Steve Bates reported for GiveMeSport that the Red Devils have had the 23-year-old under review since Christmas and initially earmarked Eze as an alternative to Mason Mount, and while that move did eventually happen, it hasn’t stopped Chiefs from keeping an eye on the talisman in SE25.
Is Eberechi Eze joining Manchester United?
TEAMtalk reports that Eze has “turned down the chance” to sign a new contract with Crystal Palace despite interest from Manchester United.
Selhurst Park bosses are eager to tie down their prized asset for the foreseeable future, but it is said that he has “rejected” the chance to sign new terms, which has sent an “alert” to the M16 side, who are named as a “potential suitor.”
Ten Hag’s interest is “unlikely” to have waned despite obtaining Mount’s signature, and it appears that a swoop now “looks more viable than it otherwise would have been” given the player’s desire to begin a fresh adventure elsewhere.
How talented is Eberechi Eze?
Eze’s refusal to commit his future to Crystal Palace is a significant boost for Ten Hag, who will now be in a better position to make a move for his target, and the attacking midfielder has been hailed a “magic” player by former teammate Christian Benteke.
The Eagles’ £30k-per-week earner racked up 14 goal contributions (ten goals and four assists) in 38 Premier League matches last season, earning him four Man of the Match awards from WhoScored, but he also proved to be a threat in the final third.
According to FBref, the Greenwich-born talent ranked in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and recorded a total of 70 shots over the course of the season, which was the highest tally in his squad, highlighting that he loves to dribble past his marker and take aim at the opposing goalkeeper.
Furthermore, Eze is represented by the same agency – CAA Base Ltd – as Raphael Varane, so the current relationship that his representation already has with the club might potentially aid United during discussions if they try to close a deal in the coming weeks.
