It’s taken 14 years and £67.5m, but Eberechi Eze is going back to Arsenal

Eberechi Eze has made no secret of his continued affiliations to Arsenal after he left their academy in 2011 – ‘I had tears rolling down my face.’ Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

They say good things come to those who wait. But for Eberechi Eze, it has taken 14 years for his dream to come true. The England forward made a dramatic entrance during Crystal Palace’s open training session on Wednesday before their Conference League playoff when he was last to emerge from the changing room with frenzied anticipation that his expected move to Tottenham was close to being agreed.

Even if he had been aware of Arsenal’s intention to step up their longstanding interest in him, Eze was certainly giving nothing away when he signed autographs and spoke to supporters on his way out of Palace’s training ground in Beckenham.