AFCON 2025
Eberechi Eze has described his £67.5 million move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal as the fulfilment of a prayer his mother said more than a decade ago.
The 27-year-old playmaker, who was released by Arsenal at the age of 13, revealed the emotional significance of his return to north London.
“The day I got released, my mum said a prayer — that this reverse would happen,” Eze said. “For me, this is a realization of a prayer that we prayed for 20-odd years ago.”
Eze admitted the transfer means far more than a career step. “I can see God’s hand in it, so I know it’s meant to be,” he said, adding that his journey back to Arsenal has felt like a constant test. “I’ve been on trial for four years… Every time I came to Arsenal, I looked at the seat that I used to sit on… I said, ‘This is it — it’s time, this is an opportunity.’”
Arsenal sealed the deal in dramatic fashion, moving quickly after Kai Havertz’s injury and hijacking a move that Tottenham had been close to completing. The agreement, worth £60 million plus up to £7.5 million in add-ons, ties Eze to the Emirates on a four-year contract with an option of a fifth.
Eze was unveiled during Arsenal’s 5–0 win over Leeds and handed the iconic No. 10 shirt — a powerful symbol of the faith, persistence and family prayers that have carried him back to the club that once let him go.
