In a summer where plenty of big stars moved on from Crystal Palace, the club have done well to keep hold of Eberechi Eze.
The forward has been impressive in the red and blue shirt since joining from QPR in 2020, operating as both a winger and an advanced playmaker.
That form has seen Eberechi Eze become a talisman in the Premier League, while his impact has started to show on the international stage for England.
So it comes as a general shock that Crystal Palace still have the 26-year-old this season while he has a £68million release clause in his contract.
It’s something that surprised Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish when he told Sky Sports: “We didn’t have in Ebs, the interest I thought we would have.
“I was astounded! Genuinely astounded, the guy is just an outstanding footballer and an outstanding person. He’d be a gift to any football club.”
That may become an even bigger surprise when you look at the release clause compared to other deals in the market.
How Eberechi Eze compares to Jack Grealish
Many Crystal Palace fans may point out that Eze’s release clause is actually a bargain at £68million, given moves for other English forwards elsewhere.
Jack Grealish is a prime example, moving for £100million from Aston Villa to Manchester City with a record that isn’t that much better.
Eze has scored one more Premier League goal than his international teammate in 57 appearances less, showing an impressive return.
Grealish has a slightly better assist rate – with 27 to 15 – but the Crystal Palace star could almost certainly catch that up in the time it has taken for the City ace.
Given the fact that some of those stats are in a title-winning team, the fact that Eze’s record is better suggests that his release clause isn’t high enough.
If Aston Villa could get upwards of £100million, then perhaps Palace made a mistake in only inserting a £68million release clause in the deal.
Eberechi Eze role fits any transfer move
While Grealish seemingly fits into one type of role, being an elite ball carrier, Eze is far more flexible for the type of team that could look to sign him.
The England international is also a fantastic ball carrier, finding a way to get out of tight spots with a piece of inventive ingenuity.
However, unlike the Man City star, Eze is also capable of many types of finishes – from long-range to box-crashing.
With versatility and pace thrown into the mix, the Crystal Palace star is far more suitable to a range of clubs.
For that reason, a release clause as low as £68million seems a clear mistake in comparison, even if clubs didn’t make the move this summer.
Given how recently a new contract was signed by Eze, it leaves question marks over when and whether that clause should be removed in fresh deal talks.
