Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly suffer a blow in their efforts to sign Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, whose release clause has expired.
The England international has apparently found himself at the centre of a two-way tussle between the Big Six outfits after having a direct hand in 15 goals in 27 Premier League games last season.
Eze struck 11 goals of his own in addition to laying on four assists, helping Palace achieve their joint-highest finish and joint-highest points total in their Premier League history.
Keeping the whole gang together was always expected to be a tough ask for head coach Oliver Glasner, who was powerless to prevent Eze's deadly double act partner Michael Olise from joining Bayern Munich in a £50m switch.
Eze and the prolific Jean-Philippe Mateta are both still at the club ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Fulham, though, and the Eagles' hopes of retaining the former may have just received a massive boost.
Eze release clause 'expired' on Thursday
According to the Daily Mail, a release clause in Eze's contract - worth £60m plus £8m in performance-related add-ons - expired on Thursday evening, meaning that Palace now hold more power at the negotiating table.
Man City and Tottenham are still believed to be interested in a summer swoop for the 26-year-old, but the Eagles could now demand a higher sum than the guaranteed £60m and possible £68m that the two clubs would have previously had to pay.
Palace are under no immediate pressure to sell the ex-Queens Park Rangers man, though, as his contract renewal - which he signed in November - runs for another three years.
The England international has contributed 26 goals and 17 assists from 124 matches in a Palace shirt since joining the club in 2020, as well as making three appearances for England at Euro 2024.
Why do Tottenham, Man City want Eze?
As well as his eye for goal and penchant for beating his man - averaging three successful take-ons per game over the past year - Eze could potentially plug a gap or two in both Pep Guardiola and Ange Postecoglou's system.
The reigning Premier League champions have lost Oscar Bobb for several months to a devastating leg fracture, while Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva's futures remain the subject of debate.
Both men should stay at the Etihad beyond the end of the summer window, but as De Bruyne is now 33 - seven years Eze's senior - the Palace man could be signed as a natural successor to the Belgian.
Over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Eze could fill a similar role, as current Spurs captain Son Heung-min is also out of contract in the summer of 2025, although his terms include a one-year extension.
Tottenham should trigger that option to prolong Son's stay, but what the future holds for the South Korean after 2026 is less clear, and Eze would be an ideal replacement on the left-hand side.
The 26-year-old tends to favour that flank, although Tottenham have already added one versatile winger to their ranks this summer, signing Wilson Odobert from Burnley in a shock £25m deal. body check tags ::
