Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze’s expired release clause worth £68million will re-activate next year.
Mail Sport revealed in June that the England international had the buy-out price - made up of an initial £60million plus a further £8m in add-ons - included in the three-and-a-half year contract he signed with the Selhurst Park club last November.
But following a summer of uncertainty surrounding Eze’s future amid initial interest from England’s top clubs, the clause elapsed ahead of the Premier League campaign as the attacker remained at Selhurst Park.
But we can now disclose that the release clause is due to reopen at the end of the season which will spark further speculation over his future at Palace. It is understood the price of the clause will remain the same.
However, Palace could be open to negotiating the terms of a deal for their attacking midfielder in 2025 despite the fixed price in his current deal.
Oliver Glasner (left) still has Eze (right) at his disposal, but the forward's release clause will re-activate next year
Having joined from Queens Park Rangers in 2020, Eze has become one of the most potent forward-thinking players in the Premier League.
And while Eze continues to be play a crucial role for Palace under Oliver Glasner, there is an acceptance in south London that the 26-year-old will continue to attract interest from clubs playing regular European football.
Palace have developed a reputation for giving talented young players a platform to showcase their talents - underpinned by Michael Olise’s £50million switch to Bayern Munich in July. Olise joined Palace from Reading in 2021 for just £8million.
And while Palace will look to maximise Eze’s value if they sell the forward ahead of next season, they may also be open to accepting a lower fee than his release price with a view to facilitating the player’s ambition.
Tottenham and Newcastle were among those credited with an interest in Eze during the summer window but no club activated the conditions of Eze’s buy-out.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Eagles chairman Steve Parish admitted his shock that none of his team’s rivals decided to meet the release clause.
‘I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael [Olise] and Ebbs [Eze] in the same window and we didn't have in Ebbs the interest that I thought we would have,’ Parish said.
‘I was astounded. Genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy's just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person.’
Eze strengthened his reputation during the summer as he featured in three of England’s seven matches at Euro 2024 and has started the domestic season impressively.
Despite Gareth Southgate’s exit as England boss after the European Championships, Eze has kept his place in the international fold after being selected in interim head coach Lee Carsley’s first squad ahead of the UEFA Nations League matches versus Ireland and Finland.