When Spurs Paid For Petit’s Taxi To Arsenal – Now Gunners Land Eze

A striker was always going to be the priority this summer. Yet ask most Gooners what was the next area in the squad that needed surgery and they would say it was someone to take the creative pressure off Ødegaard and provide competition on the left side. With Arsenal struggling to raise funds by offloading […] The post When Spurs Paid For Petit’s Taxi To Arsenal – Now Gunners Land Eze appeared first on Just Arsenal News.

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When Spurs Paid For Petit’s Taxi To Arsenal – Now Gunners Land Eze

A striker was always going to be the priority this summer. Yet ask most Gooners what was the next area in the squad that needed surgery and they would say it was someone to take the creative pressure off Ødegaard and provide competition on the left side.

With Arsenal struggling to raise funds by offloading talent, some fans thought this would be another transfer window where the missing piece of the puzzle was not addressed.

Like a centre forward being signed at least 12 months too late, the assumption was that we would be saying the same this time next year about a midfielder.

Then on Wednesday night, at the 11th hour, after weeks of indecision about submitting a bid, the Gunners finally made an official offer for Eberechi Eze.

It shows that lessons have been learnt from January when we were left short in attack, proving it is better to have too many options than not enough. If our sideways passing is not unlocking a defence, we now have a plan B. Someone who can make Martinelli, Trossard and even our captain fight for their spot.

Then there is the romantic story of a 13-year-old boy in tears as he was released by his boyhood club, returning 14 years later having gone on a journey to prove he does belong at the Emirates after all.

Yet the cherry on the cake is the reaction from Spurs fans. Believing they were the only side chasing the 27-year-old, they thought it was a case of when, not if, the player would be having a medical in North London.

That is still happening, just on the red half of North London.

Our neighbours have taken this rejection personally, although to be fair his representatives were always clear. Arsenal were the first choice but their client would have been receptive to Tottenham as a plan B.

In other words, yes, Eze would love to return to where he started in our Academy but he was not willing to put his career on hold and wait to see if we were serious.

Although it is looking more and more like this was not necessarily the unexpected hijack it is being painted as.

In fact, Steve Parish, the player and his agent may very well have been expecting Arsenal’s call. Andrea Berta likes to talk to those on his shortlist and get as many details as possible.

It is being reported that as early as August 10th our Director of Football had agreed terms with both Crystal Palace and Eze. The Italian just needed time, asking the Eagles not to translate any silence as disinterest. The 54-year-old simply had more immediate business to address, namely raising funds by offloading talent.

The Palace owner himself was in no rush to get the deal done, originally wanting his star player to at least feature this Thursday to give the club the best possible chance of being in the UEFA Conference League.

Believed to have a decent relationship with our executive vice chairman, Mr Parish and Tim Lewis are reported to have been in regular contact behind Daniel Levy’s back.

So the notion that this has been a panic move based on Kai Havertz’s injury has been exaggerated.

It has left supporters of our rivals demanding answers from their chairman on how he has let Spurs be manipulated like this.

Eze (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Petit and the Spurs taxi fare

It all reminds me of one of my favourite transfer stories back in 1997.

If you think Mr Levy has been incompetent letting a player keep him waiting for so long, imagine having the actual player at your training ground, in your office, with a contract in front of him.

The individual in question was a certain Emmanuel Petit, whose ambition was to leave France and play in the Premiership. The midfielder would have been quite content to sign on the dotted line.

Of all the contestants Sir Alan Sugar has told off for poor business acumen in The Apprentice, he fails to mention making the mistake of letting an asset leave the room without the deal being 100 percent official.

That is because while being shown around, Petit’s agent was asked not to agree to anything until he had a conversation with another club in England. Any other manager and maybe Petit would have chosen White Hart Lane. Yet the boss asking to meet for secret talks was Arsène Wenger, the coach who had given Petit his opportunity at Monaco.

In Petit’s defence, he did not understand the magnitude of the rivalry between Arsenal and Spurs at the time. Out of respect, he was simply agreeing to meet an ex-boss. Nor did the player realise Spurs had already paid for his taxi.

As part of the wooing process, Spurs believed they were paying for the Frenchman to travel back to his hotel to rest and take a couple of days to think things over.

In reality, Petit gave the driver the postcode to Mr Wenger’s house where he and David Dein were waiting. Petit claims not only was the offer to play at Highbury financially better, but he felt Mr Wenger and Mr Dein sold him on the project and took more interest in him as a person.

By the time Petit left Mr Wenger’s house, he was a Gooner. Mr Dein did not make the mistake Mr Sugar had of letting the player leave without a signature.

Spurs foot the bill

I have met David Dein and it is one of his favourite stories to recount. Not only did Petit travel from Spurs to sign for Arsenal, but Spurs paid his taxi fare to do it.

Something tells me Petit never paid Spurs back.

Dan Smith

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