Crystal Palace talisman Eberechi Eze is heading to Arsenal in a blockbuster £67.5 million deal, and manager Oliver Glasner has made no attempt to hide his fury at how the saga has unfolded, leaving them with little time to find a replacement. The England international pulled out of Thursday night’s historic 1-0 Conference League play-off victory over Fredrikstad just hours before kick-off, with Glasner admitting he was blindsided by the timing.
Arsenal to snap up Eze in £67.5m swoopGlasner blasts Palace chiefs for transfer failingsGuehi also linked with LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
Eze, who was expected to start against the Norwegians, rang Glasner on matchday claiming he felt unwell. That forced the Austrian to turn to 21-year-old Justin Devenny, who stepped into the starting XI on a night that marked Palace’s first-ever taste of European action.
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After the slender 1-0 victory, Glasner launched a blistering attack on the club’s hierarchy, accusing them of sleepwalking through the transfer market while their prized asset’s exit loomed large.
"I can't do anything," said Glasner. "I can't sign a player's contract. We have to act. We need this. This is Crystal Palace's future. It's easy to add numbers, we need to add the right players.
"The profile has been defined for months, for months. Also it's not surprising for everyone that Ebs left, because five days earlier we couldn't have done anything if he leaves [due to a release clause]. We knew that this chance is very high that this would happen, and honestly, I say it like it is, we missed the chance to replace him early enough. That's completely our fault, and nobody else's fault."
He was brutally honest with Eze's future and added, "I'm responsible for Crystal Palace and I think he won't play for us again. So I have to prepare the team for Nottingham [Forest, in the Premier League on Sunday] and for the second leg against Fredrikstad, and I'm planning without Eberechi."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The storm clouds may not stop at Eze. Centre-back and captain Marc Guehi played the full 90 minutes against Fredrikstad, but has been deep in discussions with Liverpool over a summer switch. Losing both Guehi and Eze in the same window would be nothing short of catastrophic for Palace, robbing them of leadership and star power in one hit.
DID YOU KNOW?
Palace have so far signed Croatian defender Borna Sosa for £2m and goalkeeper Walter Benítez on a free. However, club chairman Steve Parish insisted further reinforcements would arrive before the window closes, though he conceded Palace may not be able to replace Eze like-for-like.
Speaking to British broadcaster after the victory, he said: "It is what it is. We've got to move past [it]. He's been fantastic for the club. We all love him for what he's done and achieved, and we're pleased that he can go on and fulfil the other ambitions that he's got. The king is dead, long live the king. We have to move past it and we have to find other players to bring in that can support the rest of the team and Oliver.
"We will bring in players. It is about finding the right ones. It is difficult to replace players like that, and the squad was probably a little bit thin anyway. We will try and use the money and try to make ourselves, maybe not individually as good, but a bit broader with a stronger base. A few more options, that is what we will try and do."
