Oliver Glasner, Manager of Crystal Palace, gestures during the 2025 FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025 in London, England. placeholder
Oliver Glasner, Manager of Crystal Palace, gestures during the 2025 FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025 in London, England. | Getty Images
Eze missed Palace’s Europa Conference League play-off first-leg win over Fredrikstad on Thursday with Sunday’s game against Forest the first since his departure had been made official.
Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring on 37 minutes as he scored the Eagles’ first goal of the Premier League season but Forest replied through Callum Hudson-Odoi on 57 minutes after the former Chelsea man fired past Dean Henderson after an incisive pass carved open the hosts’ defence.
After the game, Glasner addressed Palace’s transfer business and declared the club had already found Eze’s replacement.
Oliver Glasner discusses Crystal Palace move for Eberechi Eze replacement
“It’s not about adding someone,” he said after the draw with Forest.
“We could add players from the U21s and U18s, but we want to be competitive in the Premier League, in European football, in the cup competitions.
“If you lose one of your top stars who had 14 goals and 12 assists, it’s pretty clear you need to replace him with a starter.
“This is what we are looking for. I’m pretty sure we will find the right one. Or we will get the right one done, let’s say it more like this.
“Because we already found the right one.”
Eze’s move to Arsenal is worth up to £67.5m to Palace. That is just slightly below the release clause of £68m in the player’s contract that recently expired.
Oliver Glasner reflects positively on time with Eberechi Eze
Glasner has worked with Eze at Palace for around 18 months and hailed the attacking midfielder for always stepping up when needed most. Eze scored the winning goal for the Eagles in the FA Cup final back in May.
He scored 40 goals and provided 28 assists in 169 appearances for Palace. Glasner said: “Ebs is a fantastic guy. It’s been a really very positive 16-17 months working with him, also keeping him fit, and supporting him with all my staff members in getting to the next level. It’s the same: being very consistent.
“He struggled last year at the beginning of the season, but I think for him, going through this valley helped him to become a better football player, and it helped him at the end of the season to be here.
“In the crunch time – I’m a big NBA fan – it is the superstars on court. Ebs, in the crunch time, when we needed him, he was here, and this is what I will always remember. This is what great players are doing – when you need them, they are here. Great players never hide in important situations – you can count on them.
“We could count on Ebs in the crunch time, in the final, in the very important games and this is what he gave to the team. This is what he gave to Crystal Palace.”
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