Sports
Sources: Arsenal agree Eze deal in blow to Spurs
Arsenal have agreed to a deal worth up to £67.5 million ($91m) for Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze after hijacking Tottenham‘s pursuit of the England international, sources have told ESPN.
On a dramatic day of activity, Spurs on Wednesday morning were confident of finalising a deal after reaching an agreement with Palace — and personal terms with Eze.
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However, Arsenal decided to enter the running later in the day amid fears that Kai Havertz could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury.
Arsenal have agreed terms with Eze, and sources have told ESPN that the move is worth £60m with £7.5m in add-ons.
Eze was originally set to play for Palace in Thursday’s Conference League playoff first leg against Fredrikstad, in likely his last game for the club, but it was eventually decided that he would play no part in the match.
Sources said that Arsenal had, before Wednesday, not followed up their initial interest for two reasons: It was tied in part to Ethan Nwaneri potentially leaving the club — the teenager has recently signed a new five-year deal — and the north London club were prioritising exits before pondering a deal for Eze after having committed almost £200m on signings in this window.
However, Havertz missed an open training session at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday with sources later confirming the club is waiting on the results of further tests before determining the full extent of the problem.
Early indications suggest Havertz is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines as Arsenal have opted to re-enter the market and accelerate negotiations with Eze.
The opportunity for Arsenal to act was also in part created by Palace’s reluctance to let Eze leave before Thursday’s game against Fredrikstad.
Eze, 27, was willing to join Spurs, but the midfielder, who has two years remaining on his contract, is a boyhood Arsenal fan and was previously thought to be open to joining the club when they originally made their interest known.
Spurs are set to move on to other targets, but it ranks as another disappointment in the market for Thomas Frank’s side after they missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who at one stage was on the brink of joining the club before opting to sign a new contract to stay at Nottingham Forest.
The Copa Libertadores trophy won by Flamengo on Saturday was damaged during the team’s title celebrations.
Flamengo beat Palmeiras 1-0 in the final in Lima, Peru, to become the first Brazilian club to lift the prestigious cup four times.
Flamengo players and staff had a victory parade on the streets of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday afternoon, with an estimated 500,000 people joining in the celebrations.
Players and staff took turns to lift the cup during the parade and images showed that the top part of the trophy, which consists of a figurine of a footballer ready to kick a ball, was wrapped in what appeared to be masking tape.
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The figurine had earlier been broken.
Flamengo will be hoping to wrap up the Brazilian league title on Wednesday when they take on Ceara in front of their own fans in Rio’s Maracana stadium.
They are five points clear of Palmeiras at the top of the standings with two games remaining.
Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has announced his return to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying he was excited to be part of the league’s “new era”.
After the 10th edition of the PSL earlier this year, the league is set for an expansion to eight teams, with the addition of two new franchises.
Meanwhile, Moeen, who has previously featured in the marquee league when he represented former champions Multan Sultans in the 2020 and 2021 editions, expressed his eagerness to rejoin the league.
Moeen stated that the PSL, since its advent in 2016, has “earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket”, featuring close competition and talented players.
“I’m really excited to be joining HBL PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team,” Moeen wrote on Instagram.
The 38-year-old, who represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is during his illustrious career, was also a part of the Three Lions squad that made its historic tour of Pakistan in 2022 to play a three-match Test series. Besides that, Moeen has made several visits to the country.
Reflecting on his previous experiences in Pakistan, Moeen said that he enjoyed playing in the country and specifically praised the enthusiastic crowd, which he said pushes players to give their best on the field.
“Playing in Pakistan is always incredible; quality of cricket is outstanding and the passion and intensity from the crowd push you to bring your best,” he continued.
“I’m looking forward to being part of it all and creating some great memories along the way. Ready for another special experience Insha’Allah!”
His announcement comes just days after former South African captain Faf du Plessis pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to play in the upcoming PSL season.
In a post on Instagram on November 29, the renowned cricketer said that he would not put his name in the IPL auction this year.
“It’s a big decision, and one that comes with a lot of gratitude when I look back,” he wrote in his post.
The receiver has been plagued by injuries, but Sunday night against the Broncos, he gave Washington something to talk about other than a seventh straight loss.
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