Arsenal tabled two extra incentives to sign Eberechi Eze that Tottenham never matched

Arsenal are on the brink of edging out rivals Tottenham to sign Eberechi Eze thanks to two major incentives. The Gunners offered more attainable add-on conditions and proposed a quicker payment plan than Spurs, which has ultimately swayed Crystal Palace to sell to them instead.

Mikel Arteta's squad is set to be strengthened by the £67.5million acquisition of the England international after major progress was made during talks on Wednesday. This development comes as Arsenal forward Kai Havertz faces a stint out of action due to a knee injury.

Eze, who was born in Greenwich, always favoured a move to Arsenal over Spurs. And the Gunners have now outmanoeuvred Tottenham with a deal which Palace find more attractive.

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The more achievable add-ons at Arsenal than what Spurs tabled will further guarantee Palace of getting more money for Eze in the long run, while the faster payment terms means the Eagles will receive the fee quicker and boost their budget for the remainder of the summer and the upcoming transfer windows.

Thomas Frank's side had stepped up their pursuit of Eze after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury during pre-season. However, Havertz's impending absence seems to have prompted Arsenal to enhance their offer.

Sky Sports report that Arsenal will pay Palace a guaranteed £60m, with an additional £7.5m in add-ons. Eze had a £68m release clause (£60m plus £8m in add-ons) in his contract, which expired when the Premier League season kicked off.

Arteta and Arsenal's sporting director, Andrea Berta, reportedly had a meeting with Eze in early July to discuss his potential transfer. The player was supposedly convinced back then about the move, but it wasn't until this week that the north London giants submitted a formal offer.

The Gunners are now on the brink of agreeing personal terms with the player before finalising the deal. It's understood Spurs have already pulled out of the race and are now exploring other options for an attacking midfielder, as per The Mirror.

Tottenham were thought to be preparing a player-plus-cash offer that would have made the deal more appealing for Palace. Forward Richarlison was being tipped as a potential part of the deal, but they seem to have conceded defeat in their pursuit.

Eze, 27, is reportedly eager to stay in Palace's squad for Thursday's Europa Conference League match against Fredrikstad, but the club might still take him out in order to keep him injury-free. After five years at Selhurst Park, it's suggested the player wants to say his goodbyes and show his appreciation to the fans.

FA Cup-winner Eze, who has earned 12 caps for England, will join international team-mates Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly at the Emirates Stadium. He'll also get the chance to make his Champions League debut this season if the move goes through as planned.

The lifelong Arsenal fan previously played in the Arsenal academy as a youngster. However, he was let go before joining the youth teams at Fulham, Reading and Millwall during his teenage years.