Eberechi Eze told Arsenal 'is not good for him' after Bukayo Saka's warning to team-mates

Eberechi Eze has been advised to cherish the freedom he enjoys at Crystal Palace and spurn a summer move to Arsenal.

The Gunners have been persistently linked with a £60million bid for the 27-year-old this summer, yet no real progress has developed as yet on the potential transfer.

Eze propelled Palace to their first-ever significant triumph by scoring the decisive goal in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. His season tally reached a personal best of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Should he join, the England international would become Mikel Arteta's seventh acquisition in a costly transfer window for the Premier League title challengers.

While Palace would undoubtedly prefer to retain their star player, former Arsenal man Mikael Silvestre has expressed his belief that Eze should actually turn down the move due to the intense competition for a place he would encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

The ex-Manchester United defender suggested that the attacking midfielder is in an ideal situation at Palace and might find it challenging to secure a regular spot in Arsenal's starting XI.

In a conversation with Hajper, Silvestre said: "Eberechi Eze to Arsenal? I don't think it'd be good for him, to be honest, because there is a lot of competition and because he has so much joy and freedom at Crystal Palace.

"Going to Arsenal would, I think, be difficult because of the competition for places. But I like him a lot. Since his early days, he has been terrific.

"It's a shame he's had quite a lot of muscle injuries and he's missed some parts of the season. But whenever he's fit and ready, he is a top player."

Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, has already subtly hinted to his Arsenal colleagues that they should be prepared to battle for their spots, having previously lauded Eze during England sessions. Saka shared his admiration, saying: "Eze has been class in training. He has impressed me the most, I would say."

With Eze still having two years remaining on his Crystal Palace contract, the Eagles are in a solid position to negotiate if they decide to let him go, reports the Mirror.

Yet, any transfer would certainly send shockwaves through the Palace squad – something manager Oliver Glasner would likely want to prevent.

Palace's transfer activity has been subdued, with only a modest £3m spent on a couple of new signings. Glasner has already voiced his discontent regarding the quiet transfer period for Palace and his desire to keep the squad intact until the window closes.

In an interview with Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, he stated: "Even though all the players are still here, we haven't made the most of the transfer window so far.

"As of now, I have 17 outfield players. I hope we don't lose any more. If that happens and we get four new ones on deadline day like last year, another false start is possible."

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