Eze's valuation 'drops to £40m' amid struggles to impress Arteta
Eberechi Eze's value at Arsenal has reportedly fallen from the £67.5million the club paid for him to around £40million, according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, who pointed to the midfielder's inconsistent form since arriving at the Emirates.
Arsenal hijacked Tottenham Hotspur's move for Eze in August 2025, snapping up the England international from Crystal Palace after he established himself as one of the Premier League's best playmakers and helped Palace win the FA Cup. So far, Eze has managed 12 goals and seven assists in 63 appearances for the Gunners.
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He has produced flashes of brilliance in an Arsenal shirt, most notably against Tottenham, and has also scored in consecutive Champions League games against Lille and Bayern Munich. Despite that, he currently sits behind Christos Tzolis and Martin Odegaard in Mikel Arteta's pecking order when all players are fit, and had largely been restricted to substitute appearances in the Premier League before Tzolis' muscle injury opened up space.
Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness said: “I think they'd be crystallising a loss if they did sell him, because I think he's worth about £50m on the books right now, and they'd probably be looking at a valuation of somewhere around £40m, given the way his form has been. It's also a symptom that Arsenal were doing a bit like Liverpool have been doing in terms of buying talent rather than buying for need, and I think that's something that they've got to consider as well. They've got to be thinking about that a bit more, and they're stacked in midfield right now, perhaps too much, and that's the sort of thing I mean. They've got to start looking at where the need is and buying for that rather than just acquiring talent when they can.”
Trust issues and a crowded midfield
Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on October 19 that Arteta does not fully trust Eze, claiming the player can “go missing” in games and that his “time is running out” to impress the Arsenal boss.
Journalist Pete O'Rourke reported that Eze himself is not worried about his lack of game time this season, and remains confident he can force his way into the starting lineup, particularly off the back of his Champions League goals.
Signed as a 10, used as a squad option
Transfer insider Graeme Bailey, writing for TEAMtalk on October 20, suggested the issue stems from Arsenal's vacancy on the left of attack rather than through the middle. “The problem is that there is a position up for grabs at Arsenal, on the left,” Bailey explained. “Everyone knows it, Arsenal do, and so does Eze. They also know he isn't the answer. Despite arriving in a deal that is pushing towards £70million, he is clearly not seen as the solution, even in the short term, although all along we were told that he was signed as a 10, an attacking midfielder and not really a left sided option. Arsenal, when you talk to them, insist it is a squad game, but that is the issue for Eze, he is clearly a squad player at the Emirates and no more than that.”
With Odegaard and Tzolis currently preferred and competition for places showing no sign of easing, Eze's route back into Arteta's first choice XI looks set to depend on continued production whenever his chances come.
