Crystal Palace secure £16m signing of QPR forward Eberechi Eze on five-year deal.
England Under-21 forward Eze fired 14 goals in 46 QPR appearances last term and has now joined Palace for a fee that could rise as high as £20million.
Chairman Steve Parish hailed Eze’s capture as a coup for Palace, with Fulham and West Ham understood to have also been in the running for his signature.
✍️ Welcome to the Pride of south London, @EbereEze10! #CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSDkhb
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 28, 2020
Speaking on the club’s official website, Eze said of the move: “I’m delighted, man. It’s been a long process but I’m just happy to have it over and done with. [The deal] definitely shows their [Palace’s] belief in me – and I want to be here, I want to play, I want to do as well as I can for this club and it’s a brilliant opportunity.
“As a football club, I feel like there are great players here and it’s a brilliant opportunity for me to come and be with these players, to link up with them and to really push on.
“It’s the position they want me to play, their goals, where they want to be, where they want to push, what they want to become, how they see me fitting in that system… The style of football they want to play suits me. It’s perfect for me. It’s a great opportunity and a great place to come.”
The 22-year-old Eze has signed a five-year deal on his move to Selhurst Park.
“Eberechi is a player whose development we have followed closely,” said Parish.
“We are delighted he has chosen to sign for us over the other clubs that were interested, and we feel that this is the right club for him to continue his development.”
Eze has become Palace’s second signing of the summer, following defender Nathan Ferguson’s switch on a free transfer from West Brom.
The south London-born striker admitted his lengthy five-year contract has already provided a confidence boost.
“The deal definitely shows their belief in me, and I want to be here, I want to play, I want to do as well as I can for this club, and it’s a brilliant opportunity,” Eze said.
A̶n̶n̶o̶u̶n̶c̶e̶ Pronounce Eze.
??'? ??? ????. #CPFC | https://t.co/utMcYSlISB pic.twitter.com/bia1MZpGM1
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 28, 2020
“The plan they’ve set out for me and what they’ve said about me is the most in line with what I feel about myself. For me, that’s the most important thing.
“The style of football they want to play suits me, it’s perfect for me.
“It’s a great opportunity and a great place to come.”
