Eberechi Eze and Mikel Arteta's last-minute phone call before Arsenal deal as details emerge

New Arsenal recruit Eberechi Eze never gave up on his dream of joining the Gunners this summer. Just when it seemed he was destined for a move to local rivals Tottenham, he had the conversation with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta he'd been waiting for.

Eze, 27, completed a £67.5million transfer to the Emirates Stadium this week, but it was as far back as late June when Arteta first reached out to him directly.

Arsenal started making overtures to Crystal Palace about a potential deal before the deal appeared to lose momentum.

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Tottenham then took the lead in the race after Arsenal seemed to lose interest and brought in players like Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard in early July.

Eze, who has previously spoken about his disappointment when Arsenal let him go at the age of 13, began to consider the possibility of joining Spurs.

However, The Athletic reported he wanted to be absolutely sure that there was no chance of returning to his childhood club Arsenal before committing to their arch-rivals. And that hesitation proved well-placed.

As it turned out, Arsenal were still reeling from the news that Kai Havertz would be sidelined due to a knee injury. So when Eze called Arteta to gauge if there was any possibility of a deal, the boss asked him to hold tight as he was told Arsenal had a board meeting later that day.

By the time the club's executives had wrapped up, Eze was informed a deal with Palace was all but confirmed.

The lifelong Arsenal fan reportedly responded with sheer joy during his chat with Arteta on Wednesday evening. And he was understandably thrilled at the prospect of a second chance with the club he's supported since childhood.

Eze's journey to the Emirates hasn't been straightforward. However, his return marks him as the third most expensive signing in the club's history.

The Athletic also report Eze employed a dual-strategy to secure his move, lobbying through his England team-mates who play for Arsenal. That includes the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly to gain more support in north London.

His situation has been compared to that of Viktor Gyokeres, who also showed immense determination to secure his transfer to Arsenal. Eze's own eagerness for the move, including his burning desire to speak directly with Arteta, likely played a crucial role.

Adding to the allure of the deal, Eze's signing has put a damper on rival Spurs' plans, reports The Mirror. Tottenham had been linked with the player for months, only for Arsenal to swoop in at the last minute and finalise a deal within days.

With Eze's arrival, Arsenal's summer spending has soared well past the £200m mark, while they've recouped only a fraction of that amount through sales. However, it's clear Arteta is a big admirer of the creative talent and was unwilling to let him slip into Tottenham's grasp once Havertz's injury came to light.

Arsenal's newest summer recruit was introduced to the Emirates crowd just prior to Saturday's 5-0 triumph over Leeds, where Gyokeres netted his first goals for the club. There's plenty more in store for the London heavyweights as Eze gears up for a potential Gunners debut at Liverpool next Sunday he might have thought would never happen.