Arsenal legend Lee Dixon fears Tottenham have won major advantage in the race to sign Eberechi Eze.
The England international is wanted by both north London rivals who are looking to add to their squads on the eve of the new Premier League season.
Thomas Frank’s need for reinforcements has been exacerbated by the serious injury sustained by James Maddison in pre-season.
The former Leicester City star will miss the majority of the campaign having undergone knee surgery earlier this week.
Eze is seen as a natural replacement and with Arsenal needing to sell before they can buy again, Spurs have seen a market opportunity and are prepared to pounce.
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Although Dixon would love to see the midfield playmaker return to the club that discarded him as a teenager, he believes a move to Spurs would represent a more logical decision for Eze.
‘There’s obviously only one choice!’ Dixon joked, when asked by 10bet which team Eze should sign for.
‘But, from his point of view, he probably knows that he’ll have a better chance of playing every week at Tottenham than he would at Arsenal simply because Arsenal’s squad is better.
‘At Arsenal, he may have to accept more of a squad role. He’s another one that has the ability to play in multiple areas, and that is what he would have to do at Arsenal.
‘I could see him operating off the left, off the right and centrally, but Arsenal have quality players that can play in those areas and he’d be competing with them to get in the team.
‘He’d back himself to get in the team. With the amount of games Arsenal will play, he’d play a lot of football, but he wouldn’t start every week. There’s definitely a place for him at Arsenal, that’s for sure.’
Arsenal were forced to lick their wounds again last season following a third consecutive second place finish.
Asked if Eze could make the difference between another near miss and finally ending the wait for a major trophy, Dixon added: ‘It’s always better to have too many top players than not enough, it’s a nice problem for any manager to have.
‘We’ve seen over the last few years that we’ve just fallen short a little bit in the important parts of the season. Having a player like Eze in your squad might be able to change that a little bit, having someone who is a bit unpredictable and can produce moments of inspiration.
‘It only takes a couple of flashes of genius, and that turns games that Arsenal drew last season into wins. He’s definitely a player that gives you something different to what you have.
‘For Arsenal, it’s about how you improve because finishing second three years on the trot has people questioning your quality.
‘We’re very, very close to being able to win the Premier League title, and maybe Eze could offer that little bit extra that pushes you over the line or gives you an extra five or six points come the end of the season.’
