Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott (Photo: Justin Setterfield, Luke Walker/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott explained why he doesn’t feel certain about Ebebeki Eze’s move to Emirates Stadium this summer.
Crystal Palace’s playmaker is definitely a top player and certainly has him playing on the big sixth side like Arsenal.
However, Walcott questions whether Eze is reluctant to join the Gunners in the World Cup year.
As things stand, Eze will be able to play regularly for the palace in the upcoming seasons and then maintain his place in the British team.
As Walcott points out, Arsenal will put more pressure on him. There, if he is not running to the ground, he may not start regularly.
Does Ebebeki Eze have any doubts about his move to Arsenal?
It was called soccer, and Walcott revealed that he appreciates Eze as something like signing the need for his old club.
However, he questioned whether it really makes sense for the 27-year-old to leave Selhurst Park.
“I think the big problem and big thing we have to look at is that it’s the year of the World Cup,” Walcott said.
“As a player, if it’s a World Cup year, I think, ‘I’m going to play consistently at the palace this year,’ so for example, my thought process: Clearly Arsenal is another kind of pressure.
“There’s pressure to challenge the title and there are so many words that Mikel (Arteta) is said to need to win something this year, so he’s definitely a talented player, of course, to be a player who helps his squad.
“So he’ll help the team, but will he help himself? The good thing about Eze’s situation is that he can play every week and he has a Maverick style that allows him to take those risks and embraces it.
“I think he’s a player who can take those risks at the palace. I don’t think he’ll get that at Arsenal.”
He added: “For me, the World Cup year is a big year and I feel that grass isn’t necessarily environmentally friendly.
“I love the way Ez plays at this point in the palace and it looks very different at Arsenal.
“He’s going to improve Arsenal at 100%, but he just feels that the World Cup year is a big factor for many of his players this year.”
Arsenal fans hope Eze will be coming out soon, and prove Walcott is wrong here.
Charles Watts discussed the latest on Eze’s future in his links with Arsenal and Tottenham in his exclusive latest edition Catch off side column.