Eze agreed personal terms with Spurs, who reached an agreement over a transfer fee on Wednesday, but Palace refused to immediately greenlight an exit as they wanted their talisman available for Thursday’s Conference League qualifier against Fredrikstad. As a result, the door was opened to Arsenal.

There is genuine shock at White Hart Lane about how the transfer played out, with all of that amid considerable supporter unrest and pressure, especially after the injury to James Maddison. Spurs have now lost out on two major transfers late into negotiations, after Morgan Gibbs-White decided to stay at Nottingham Forest.