Eberechi Eze will start for Crystal Palace away to Chelsea on Sunday despite firm interest from Tottenham Hotspur in signing the attacking midfielder. On Saturday night, there was a big doubt that he would play at Stamford Bridge if the deal was close.
Spurs believe that Eze will cost about £55million and want him in addition to Savinho, the winger valued by Manchester City at £67million. City omitted Savinho against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and it is unclear whether a deal for him could be struck before they host Tottenham at the weekend.
Eze, 27, helped Palace beat Liverpool in the Community Shield on penalties after the match ended 2-2 last Sunday. After Palace play Chelsea, they host the Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK in the Conference League play-off first leg on Thursday.
Tottenham’s path to signing longstanding target Eze was helped by Arsenal cooling interest in the player, who is keen to move to Thomas Frank’s side. Spurs have not made a bid but want to pay in the region of £50million. Tottenham considered Eze last summer but did not want to pay a significant portion of his £60million release clause upfront.
Eze has two years remaining on his contract with Palace. They signed him from Queens Park Rangers in 2020 for a fee worth up to £19.5 million. QPR are believed to be due 15 per cent of any profit that Palace make on the sale.
Spurs want to add two attacking midfielders after James Maddison suffered a serious knee injury that will rule him out for most of the season, Son Heung-min left to join LAFC and a proposed deal to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest collapsed.
Exclusive: Adarabioyo likely to miss Palace match
Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo is set to miss the match against Palace as a precautionary measure after the defender felt a small issue in training.
The 27-year-old did not complete Saturday’s session and while the injury is not thought to be serious, Chelsea do not want to take any risks after already losing the centre back Levi Colwill to a long-term injury.
Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea head coach, outlined Adarabioyo’s importance to the team on Friday in light of Colwill’s absence, suggesting that of the six senior centre backs in his plans for the new season, only Adarabioyo can play Colwill’s role in the team “well”.
Adarabioyo joins Colwill on Chelsea’s injury list
GETTY
“When we build, we build with Levi in the middle,” Maresca said. “It’s different to playing on the left side. Last year we played 64 games and we played 64 games with Levi and Tosin. Now Levi is out. The only one that can do that job well is Tosin.
“The one in the middle is the one that recognises solutions, he is the one most of the time that has to break lines and in my way they are so, so important.”
Due to the loss of Colwill, and the importance of Adarabioyo to the team going forward, Chelsea have opted not to risk the former Fulham defender against Palace. Wesley Fofana, who had hamstring surgery in April, missed both of Chelsea’s public friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan last week but Maresca confirmed he could be available to feature against Palace.
Benoît Badiashile is making progress towards a return from injury, while Chelsea also have Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah available. Maresca had suggested that neither Badiashile or Fofana were best equipped for the “central” centre-back role.
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Premier League, Stamford Bridge
Sunday, 2pm
TV Sky Sports Main Event