Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly pushing to sign Crystal Palace star player Eberechi Eze (27).
Football Insider in the U.K. reported on the 28th (Korean time) that "Tottenham is planning to acquire Eze during this summer transfer window." According to the report, Mick Brown, who was a chief scout for Manchester United and Blackburn, shared this information.
Son Heung-min has been a key striker for the team since transferring to Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in 2015. He struggled to adapt in his first season but gradually established himself as a central figure by consistently scoring double-digit goals each season. Notably, during the 2021-2022 season, he scored 23 goals, becoming the first Asian player to achieve the Premier League's top scorer title.
This season, Son Heung-min is experiencing challenges that differ from previous seasons. The team's poor performance has attracted criticism from some fans as his on-field performance does not meet expectations. Furthermore, some experts have pointed out that Son Heung-min is not demonstrating adequate leadership as captain. Some even argue that he should be stripped of the captaincy.
Amidst this situation, Son Heung-min came on as a substitute in the match against Manchester City on the 27th. Head coach Ange Postecoglou explained, "Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, and Djed Spence have played significant minutes, so it was determined that giving them recovery time would be more beneficial for us."
According to Football Insider, Mick Brown stated, "Eze is a player that Coach Postecoglou has been interested in for a long time," and projected that Tottenham would make serious moves to acquire him this summer.
Although Eze has missed many matches this season due to injury at Crystal Palace, he is regarded as a key player under head coach Oliver Glasner. Concerns are growing within Tottenham regarding Son Heung-min's future, leading to speculation that Eze is being considered as a potential replacement.
Brown noted, "There are concerns within Tottenham regarding Son Heung-min's status. Eze is being evaluated as his potential replacement." In fact, The Boy Hotspur reported on the 28th, citing Spanish media Pichajes, that Son Heung-min is seriously considering a transfer to Bayern Munich.
However, there are claims that Tottenham's primary goal in this summer transfer market is to strengthen their defense and defensive midfield, with the acquisition of attacking players likely to follow later.
Currently, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are fulfilling the attacking midfield roles in the team, so there is no urgent need to acquire Eze, but Tottenham seems to be planning for the long term and will proceed with negotiations.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace has stated that they will not easily allow Eze to leave. With England national team defender Marc Guéhi also likely to be transferred, if a replacement player is not secured, it is highly probable that Eze's transfer will not be permitted.
Brown commented, "Eze is a player who fits well with Tottenham. If Tottenham can complete the transfer through appropriate negotiations, it would be a good acquisition." While Tottenham considers Son Heung-min's status and pushes for the acquisition of Eze, it remains uncertain whether Crystal Palace will allow it.
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