Arsenal have frustrated Tottenham in the transfer market yet again, this time by swooping for Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze. Spurs appeared on course to land the England winger in what would have been a major coup for Thomas Frank’s team.

Arsenal weren’t about to let Eberechi Eze head to North London without intervening, and the 27-year-old now looks set to complete a move to the Emirates before next month’s transfer deadline. The twist has left Spurs bewildered, while the Gunners seem to have finally landed a long-term target. However, their move to hijack the deal hasn’t exactly been a quick process.

The Independent,  reports that Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta had in fact reached an agreement over the deal as early as August 10. However, the club kept it under wraps, even suggesting publicly that offloading players was a priority and that signing a left-winger ranked higher on their list. In reality, their pursuit of Eze was simply placed on hold.

That delay gave Tottenham the opportunity to step in, with Spurs emerging as frontrunners for Eze’s signature. According to football.london, they eventually struck an agreement with both Crystal Palace and the player on Wednesday, following a string of tense and complex negotiations. Eze was prepared to make the switch, though only after featuring for the Eagles in their Europa Conference League playoff against Fredrikstad on Thursday.

Kai Havertz’s knee injury appears to have accelerated Arsenal’s thinking when it comes to a move though. It is suggested that their offer for Eze has actually gazumped Spurs’ bid.

Daniel Levy had negotiated a package valued at £50m plus £10m in add-ons for Spurs, but Arsenal have stepped in with a £60m offer along with an additional £7.5m in bonuses. In the end, Palace chairman Steve Parish’s strong ties with Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis seem to have helped push the Gunners ahead in the race over the past few days.

Parish and Lewis are said to be in frequent contact, far more than the Palace chairman is with Spurs chief Daniel Levy. The prospect of further dealings between the clubs has also bolstered Arsenal’s position, with Palace showing interest in defender Jakub Kiwior.

Caught in the middle of the saga was Eze himself, who was said to be “excited” at the prospect of joining Spurs despite his long-standing admiration for Arsenal. Released by the Gunners as a teenager, he had previously described playing for them as a “dream,” but their earlier reluctance had led him to believe it would never happen. He even held discussions with Steve Parish in an effort to find a resolution, but nothing materialised.

That changed on Wednesday, when reports surfaced that Arsenal had overtaken Spurs in the race. While Tottenham have yet to formally withdraw, all indications now suggest Eze is on course to complete a move to the Emirates.

The situation has now put Levy under scrutiny, particularly after also failing to land Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White earlier in the summer — a deal that collapsed when the midfielder made a late U-turn and signed a new contract with the Midlands club.

Missing out on Eze, though, will feel like an even heavier blow. Arsenal have ultimately come away with a top-class talent, one who looks set to finally realise his dream move against all odds.