Why Eberechi Eze to Arsenal transfer makes no sense now and only serves to embarrass Tottenham

Arsenal have moved late - although it's not late given their earlier interest...we'll explain later - to hijack north London rivals Tottenham's move to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

News emerged on Wednesday evening that the Gunners had made their move after days of negotiations between Spurs and Palace that appeared to signal the 27-year-old signing for Thomas Frank's side.

Not only was it news that Arsenal were making a move, but it was news that the player had chosen to sign for them and that a transfer announcement looks imminent.

Arsenal had been linked with Eze for much of the transfer window, but cooled their interest once Ethan Nwaneri signed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners remained interested in Eze, but his signing was not seen as a priority.

Instead Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta started to focus on players leaving the club, to yield much-needed funds.

Spurs swooped in and went to the head of the queue for Eze's signature. But they could not get a deal done quickly enough and after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury which could keep him out for some time, Arsenal decided to react.

But that's where this situation makes little sense.

Havertz is, for all intents and purposes, a striker. He has been utilised as a left-sided No.8 under Mikel Arteta at times - and was initially signed as such, but he is a frontman.

His injury, couple with Gabriel Jesus' continued absence with an ACL injury, leaves new big-money signing Viktor Gyokeres as the only fit recognised striker at the club for the time being. That's big pressure on the new man's shoulders.

Eberechi Eze is not coming in as a frontman. He can play anywhere in support of the main striker and in midfield, but No.10 is probably his best position.

That position is currently occupied by Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard.

Eze could replace Havertz as a left eight, but with Martin Zubimendi arriving at the club, the first-choice midfield trio looks to be the Spaniard, Declan Rice and Odegaard. Eze cannot play in the No.6 role, or at least it would be a waste of his talents if he did.

The likelihood is that Eze will usurp the much-maligned Gabriel Martinelli in the starting lineup on the left-hand side - a position the Crystal Palace ace is pretty familiar with. Although given the way Arsenal play under Arteta, with the full-backs tucking in, Eze is not the natural touchline-hugging wide player you would perhaps want.

So, Arsenal moving to sign Eze because Havertz got injured does not really make much sense right now. He can of course offer up back-up in Arsenal's midfield, should Arteta need it, and replace Havertz in that way, but Havertz also offers back-up in the striker department, something Eze does not.

What signing Eze now does do is humiliate Tottenham - something the Gunners fans can certainly get on board with.

Spurs desperately need a No.10 given injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. And having failed to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest and now losing out on Eze, Arsenal are certainly having the last laugh on their big rivals.

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