New Arsenal star Eberechi Eze
The signing of Eberechi Eze could force Martin Odegaard and another Arsenal star to up their game, according to Jamie Redknapp.
Eze had been close to joining Tottenham Hotspur before Arsenal completed a dramatic late hijack. The Gunners decided they swiftly needed a replacement for the injured Kai Havertz and swooped for Eze.
Arsenal have paid Crystal Palace an initial £60million for the attacking midfielder, while the deal could rise to £67.5m through bonuses.
Eze has penned a four-year contract that includes the option for an extra 12 months.
It is a dream come true for Eze, who is a childhood supporter of Arsenal and spent time in their academy before being released at the age of 13.
Eze will look to help Arsenal go one step further by finally lifting the Premier League title after their near misses in recent years.
The England star is versatile and will be able to operate as either a No 10 or left winger under Mikel Arteta.
Both Odegaard and Bukayo Saka went off injured during Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United on Saturday.
During an appearance on Sky Sports (via Metro), Redknapp discussed how the arrival of Eze could impact Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, with Arsenal set to face likely title rivals Liverpool next weekend.
“It just shows you the importance of signing Eze because, right now, they need him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts at Anfield,” the pundit said.
“If you think about it, [Noni] Madueke will probably go back out onto the right.
“Eze is going to be brilliant there and the No 10 shirt just feels right on him.
“He played No 10 at Palace and it just feels like he deserves this. He did such a great job at Palace and this is now his big opportunity and he’s got unfinished business.”
Eberechi Eze tipped to ‘flourish’ at Arsenal
Redknapp continued: “He’s a fantastic player, he’s played for his country.
“He is going to flourish there and I would like to see him in the positions where he is able to make things happen.
“I feel, right now, that the one player who would be under a little bit of pressure… and if I thought two years ago that I’d be saying this, I would have thought I was crazy… but I think the captain will be looking, thinking, ‘He might be a problem for me’, because if he gets in then it might be hard for Odegaard to take back his place.”
Redknapp added: “He [Eze] can [go] wide left or he can play inside, but we’ve shown clips there and the reason why we’ve shown them is because that [central] is where he’s at his best.
“Martinelli won’t come in there and play in that area. I feel that if you asked Eze, he would want to play centrally, where he can make things happen.
“Martinelli might need this. He’s been too comfortable and this might be a situation where he needs to up his game and Eze will certainly bring that because he’s got so much confidence.”