Arsenal's smokescreen for Eberechi Eze deal and how hijack was pulled off so quietly

Arsenal have once again pipped Tottenham in the transfer market, this time by swooping for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze. Spurs were on the verge of sealing a deal for the England international, which would have been a major coup for Thomas Frank's men.

But Arsenal were unwilling to let Eze join their north London rivals without a fight. Now, the 27-year-old now looks destined to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium before the window slams shut in under a fortnight.

As a result, Spurs have been forced back to the drawing board, frustrated. The Gunners, meanwhile, appear to have captured a long-standing target.

Their hijack, though, wasn't as sudden as it appeared. Sporting director Andrea Berta had already set the foundations of a deal back on August 10, according to The Independent.

The arrangement was deliberately kept under wraps, with word being put out that Arsenal first needed to offload players and were instead prioritising a left winger – a smokescreen that convinced Tottenham they had breathing space.

Arsenal's chase of the Palace star was effectively put on ice, giving Spurs their window of opportunity. They were quickly tipped as frontrunners and even reached an agreement with Palace and Eze on Wednesday following intense negotiations.

The midfielder was interested in a switch to Spurs, but was first set to feature for Palace in their Europa Conference League tie with Fredrikstad on Thursday evening before finalising any move. However, Kai Havertz's injury changed Arsenal's stance and pushed them into decisive action, enabling them to leapfrog Tottenham's into pole position.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had prepared a £50m bid plus £10m in add-ons, but Arsenal outdid them with £60m plus £7.5m. Stronger relations between Steve Parish and Arsenal vice-chairman Tim Lewis further also helped tilt the deal in the Gunners' favour.

Those ties are far closer than Parish's relationship with Levy, and the possibility of further business – with Palace eyeing Gunners ace Jakub Kiwior – improved Arsenal's leverage. Eze himself, though, had reportedly been excited about the chance to play for Spurs, even though he grew up an Arsenal supporter.

Having been released by the Gunners in his youth, he had spoken before of his "dream" to wear their colours one day. When Arsenal delayed their approach, he assumed that dream had slipped away. He even spoke with Parish in search of a resolution, but no breakthrough was reached. Only on Wednesday did Arsenal finally overtake Spurs.

While Tottenham haven't formally withdrawn, all indications now suggest Eze is heading for the Emirates Stadium – a twist that piles yet more pressure on Levy, who will have t move on to other targets. He had already missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White, who came close to departing Nottingham Forest before signing a new contract at the last moment.

At the same time, Spurs' chase of Manchester City winger Savinho has ground to a halt. James Maddison's ACL blow has left them thin in attacking options, and their sluggish efforts to replace him – especially compared with Arsenal's sharp response to Havertz's setback – has increased the scrutiny.

Losing out on Eze, however, would sting no matter what. Arsenal now look set to bring in a talented and driven footballer who is getting his dream switch, while Tottenham are once again left trailing in their wake.

Eze is still set to play for Palace tonight, but is expected to undergo a medical with the Gunners on Friday.

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