- Eze expected to agree personal terms
- Palace’s opening bid for Mateta rejected by Mainz
Eberechi Eze looks set to join Crystal Palace after the Premier League club made a new bid for
Photograph: Ben Gaby/TGS Photo/REX/Shutterstock
Crystal Palace are set to win the race to sign Eberechi Eze from Queens Park Rangers after making a bid worth £19.5m for the forward.
Eze has been targeted by Aston Villa, Fulham, Leeds, West Ham and West Bromwich Albion this summer but Palace have tracked him heavily over the last 12 months and are hopeful of concluding a deal before the end of the week. It is understood that negotiations with the 22-year-old over personal terms will not be an issue.
QPR have been holding out for a high fee for their best player and rejected a £12m bid from Palace earlier this month. However Palace have maintained their interest in Eze, who scored 14 goals in the Championship last season, and it is believed that an offer worth £15m plus add-ons will be enough to land the attacker.
Eze, at his best as a No10, is not short of admirers. Slaven Bilic, West Brom’s manager, rates him highly and David Moyes wanted to bring him to West Ham. Yet Palace have made the strongest moves. West Brom have been hesitant and West Ham, who are looking to offload Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini, need to raise funds through sales.
Palace are also in talks with Mainz over Jean-Philippe Mateta after having an opening bid of around £14m for the French striker rejected.
Mateta has been of interest to several Premier League clubs in the past having scored 14 goals in his first season in the Bundesliga in 2018-19. Mainz have insisted he will not be allowed to leave for less than €30m (£27m).
It is understood Palace are hoping to sign the 23-year-old, who missed six months of last season with a knee injury, to provide competition for Christian Benteke in the central striker’s role.
