Eberechi Eze had his heart set on a return to Arsenal all summer even when talk of a transfer cooled, and he finally got the green light to make the switch across London in a call with Mikel Arteta
New Arsenal signing Eberechi Eze refused to give up on the prospect of joining the club this summer. And he finally got the call he'd been holding out for from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta just before it looked certain he was heading for neighbours Tottenham instead.
Eze sealed a £67.5million move to the Emirates this week, but it was late June when Arteta first made direct contact with Eze as Arsenal began to put the feelers out to Crystal Palace regarding a deal.
Rivals Tottenham then took a lead in the race after the Gunners appeared to cool their interest and signed the likes of Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard in the first half of July. Eze, who has spoken about the tears he shed when Arsenal released him as a 13-year-old, became receptive to the prospect of joining Spurs.
However, The Athletic report he wanted to be certain any chance of re-joining his boyhood club Arsenal was truly dead before he committed to their greatest nemeses.
As it so happens, Arsenal were still reacting to the news that Kai Havertz was set for a spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury. So when Eze called Arteta to suss if there was any chance a deal could be done, the manager told him to bear with.
The 27-year-old was informed Arsenal had a board meeting later that day. By the time the club's executives had finished up, Eze was informed a deal with Palace was as good as agreed.
Unsurprisingly, the lifelong Gooner reportedly reacted ecstatically on the call with Arteta on Wednesday evening, as it meant he'd be getting a second chance with the club he has supported since he was a boy.
Things hadn't panned out as hoped during Eze's adolescence, but a long road led him back to the Emirates as their third-most expensive signing of all time.
The Athletic also revealed Eze adopted a two-pronged approach and campaigned via his England team-mates to get the move. It's understood he reached out to his international comrades based at Arsenal, the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly, to curry even more favour in north London.
His situation was likened to Viktor Gyokeres, who displayed a great amount of determination to seal a switch to Arsenal. And Eze's own hunger for the move likely proved pivotal, including his desire to speak with Arteta directly.
It's an added bonus that by signing Eze, Arsenal have rained on rival Spurs' parade in the process. Tottenham were linked with the player for months, only for the Gunners to steal in at the 11th hour and signing off on a deal in a matter of days.
Eze's arrival has pushed Arsenal's summer spending way beyond the £200m mark, while they've only brought in a fraction of that through sales. However, it's apparent Arteta is a big fan of the creative talent and didn't want to let him enter Tottenham's clutches once Havertz's injury came to light.
Arsenal's latest summer signing was presented to the Emirates faithful just before Saturday's 5-0 win over Leeds, where Gyokeres got his first goals for the club. And there's a lot more to come from the London giants as Eze prepares to make a debut he may have feared would never come.