I had offers from Tottenham and Arsenal like Eberechi Eze - I immediately joined one club

Eberechi Eze isn't the only player to have chosen Arsenal over Tottenham Hotspur, with Takehiro Tomiyasu also making a last-minute switch between the north London rivals.

The Japanese defender was part of Mikel Arteta's significant squad revamp in 2021, joining the ranks of the Emirates Stadium alongside Ben White and Martin Odegaard. Despite Spurs' interest, Tomiyasu ended up with the Gunners for a fee of £19.8million.

Speaking about his dramatic deadline day move with DAZN Japan, Tomiyasu revealed: "I thought I wasn't able to join Arsenal. I thought I was going to Spurs. On deadline day, I rejected them. Arsenal asked me to join them and I did immediately."

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Since his transfer from Bologna, the 26-year-old has made 84 appearances for Arsenal, although he has recently found himself sidelined in favour of the likes of White and Jurrien Timber. However, his performances and dedication have earned him high praise from his team-mates.

In 2021, White spoke highly of his fellow defender, saying: "Obviously, you've all seen how he's performed when he's playing for Arsenal. He's such a nice guy. He fitted straight in when he came. All the boys love him and he's doing the business on the pitch as well. He's doing really well," reports the Mirror.

It seems history is about to repeat itself as Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Crystal Palace's star player, Eze, leaving Spurs in the dust once more. Despite Tottenham's belief that they had secured a deal with the Eagles for the versatile attacking midfielder after a summer-long pursuit, it appears their north London rivals have once again outmanoeuvred them.

The Gunners are set to shell out a guaranteed £60m, plus an additional £7.5m in performance-related bonuses, to secure Eze's services. The player is also expected to undergo a medical at the club on Friday, despite being slated to play in Palace's Europa League match against Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening.

While eager to participate in the game despite his impending transfer, Palace may decide to withdraw him from the match. This development will undoubtedly be a significant setback for Spurs, who under Thomas Frank, are looking to overhaul their squad before the transfer deadline day.

But it also represents a blow for Palace and their manager, Oliver Glasner. The 27-year-old England international, who has earned 11 caps for his country, has been a beacon of brilliance at Selhurst Park since his £19.5m move from Queens Park Rangers in 2020.

With a tally of 40 goals and 28 assists in 169 appearances for the club, he has been instrumental in Palace's success, including scoring the decisive goal in their 1-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester City in May. Eze also played a key role in Crystal Palace's Community Shield triumph over Liverpool earlier this month, and has kicked off the new Premier League season in fine form.

That is despite having a stunning free-kick goal against Chelsea, controversially disallowed due to Marc Guehi's encroachment. Eze isn't the only player who could be on his way out of Selhurst Park this summer, with rumours swirling that Guehi could be heading to Liverpool before the transfer window slams shut on 1 September.

The 25-year-old defender is entering the final year of his contract with the Eagles and is seen as an ideal addition for Arne Slot as he looks to put the finishing touches on a successful transfer window. However, whether Liverpool are prepared to meet Guehi's £45m price tag remains to be seen, particularly as it's believed the Premier League champions could still make a last-minute swoop for Newcastle United's Alexander Isak.