Eberechi Eze Still Yet to Prove His Worth for The £67.5 Million That the Club Has Spent On Him

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Eberechi Eze arrived at the Emirates this summer as one of the marquee signings for a potential league title push, after being the best player on a title-winning Crystal Palace squad. However, things haven’t gone as expected for the England international at Arsenal, becoming a secondary player.

Considering his £67.5 million price tag, Eze’s spell as a gunner so far has been disappointing to say the least, even after sites that let you place your bets with MasterCard ranked him highly. Although the former Crystal Palace star has proven that he has the quality and the talent to be one of Arsenal’s greatest and most creative wingers, it seems like he has yet to adapt to Mikel Arteta’s system.

But what is happening to Eze? Will he become the next Nicolas Pepe? Will he be able to turn things around and get comfortable at the Emirates?

The Pressure from Day One

It’s fair to say that Eberechi Eze has come a long way. Let’s not forget that, during lockdown, Eze was playing at QPR, a mid/low table side in the Championship. However, his time at Crystal Palace really put Eze on the map.

Everyone knew how good Eze was, but teams weren’t keen on bidding for the now former Palace player for one reason: he was the shadow of Michael Olise, the “other” winger for Palace.

Of course, Eze didn’t have an easy task once Bayern took Olise, but he didn’t disappoint, becoming the star man for a Crystal Palace side that managed to clinch the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

After such an incredible season, where Eze proved to be the present of the English national team, Arsenal came in with a whopping £67.5 million and signed the player on a long-term contract, putting Eze as one of the stars of Arsenal’s ambitious title push.

Work in Progress

Of course, Eze has to be aware that he isn’t at Palace anymore, he’s now an Arsenal player, and there are many world-class talents around him. As a result, Eze must adapt to Mikel Arteta’s system, a much more physical style different to what Eze was used to at Palace.

And this has clearly affected his performance, Eze seems lost and he has to re-learn how to play in a new position.

Despite having 2 goals and 3 assists in 15 games, Arteta demands much more from his players and needs them to be able to play consistently in different positions. This, of course, shows why Eze hasn’t performed as expected, as, at Arsenal, he has played in three different positions which differ vastly from one another.

Eze had played as a winger at Palace, being an attacking midfielder when needed, two positions he has mastered and where he’s an excellent player at. But since his arrival at the Emirates, Eze has had to fall a bit deeper and play as a central midfielder, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Zubimendi by his side.

Being the attacking player he is, it’s clear that Eze has to adapt to a style where he has to perform defensively, thus why he’s having issues adapting.

Time is Running, but Arteta is Patient

Eze’s talent is undeniable, he’s one of England’s most technical players and has tremendous talent. But, with such a price-tag, he has to show much more than what he’s currently showing: he needs to regain his Palace confidence and, of course, level if he doesn’t want to fall from Arteta’s plans.

Although Arteta is patient with Eze, as it’s very difficult to make the move to a big club, this season can be the defining chapter of his career. If he performs, he will, without a shadow of a doubt, become one of Arsenal’s stars; if he doesn’t, he will be “one more” on the Arsenal bench and he will show to be a complete failure.

Only time will tell if Eze has what it takes to be a gunner, there have been glimpses up to this day but he has a lot to do if he wants to break into the starting eleven.

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