Premier League outfit Crystal Palace tried and failed to lure Ebere Eze away from London rivals and Championship hopefuls QPR.
Queens Park Rangers’ director of football Les Ferdinand has admitted to the Beautiful Game podcast that Crystal Palace made a January approach for Ebere Eze, adding that the R’s face a big challenge holding onto their star man beyond this summer.
Alongside the rapid Bright Osayi-Samuel, Eze has emerged as one of the Championship’s most exciting young talents in recent months.
With 12 goals and eight assists, the England U21 international has added some much-needed end product to his staggering technical ability and it seems only a matter of time before this languid playmaker is strutting his stuff in the Premier League.
The Sun reports that Tottenham Hotspur are currently the favourites to land the £20 million-rated Eze – whose considerable price-tag is apparently beyond Crystal Palace’s financial means.
It seems, then, that The Eagles have already missed out on their best chance to lure a one-time Millwall wonderkid to Selhurst Park.
“Crystal Palace made an enquiry but we never got to any fee or any negotiations in terms of what it was going to take. They made an enquiry about him and that was it,” said ex-Spurs and Newcastle striker Ferdinand.
“I think that is out of our hands. We may get an offer we can’t refuse.
“We are trying to build something here but at the same time we know along the way we are going to lose one or two assets and losing those assets will enable us to replenish the squad which because of Financial Fair Play and the way things work in the Championship, for us as a football club that is the only way we can survive and move forward.”
Funds have been tight at Crystal Palace over the last few years with manager Roy Hodgson becoming vocally frustrated about the lack of money available to him to improve the squad at his disposal. And missing out on Eze isn’t going to improve the coach’s mood.
Ferdinand’s honest admission, however, should give Tottenham hope that a summer deal can be tied up.
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