Man Utd 'set for marquee transfer battle' for England international with £60m release clause

Man United have reportedly identified England's Eberechi Eze as a potential marquee signing this summer, but they face competition for his signature. Eze was one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season, starring on a weekly basis for Crystal Palace as the Eagles claimed a top half finish under Oliver Glasner.

The attacking midfielder hit the back of the net on 11 occasions this season, while he also recorded four assists to hammer home his creative talents. It comes as no surprise to see his name linked with top six clubs this summer then, despite his £60 million release clause.

United are one of the sides said to be very keen on the 25-year-old, but Tottenham are also admirers, claim The Sun. The report suggests that Spurs may have stolen a march in the Eze chase, too, with the Palace man's friends and family being spotted in a box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium towards the end of the campaign.

Of course, Palace would be loath to lose one of their attacking star men this summer, but should either side activate his release clause, the south London club wouldn't be able to stand his way. Whether United would have the ability to fork out such a fee without straying over the line in terms of the Premier League's spending rules remains to be seen given the personnel changes that could come this summer.

However, Spurs are thought to be one of those who have room to spend this summer, with Ange Postecoglou keen to make more of a mark on his squad over the coming months.

Eze has been with Palace since making the move in 2020 from QPR, where he started his senior career despite having spells with Arsenal, Fulham, Reading and Millwall as a youngster. He's made 124 appearances for the Eagles in all competitions since, with his haul of 11 goals this season being his best return to date for the club.

The Londoner's form has seen him included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024 and after missing out on Euro 2020 due to injury, he'll be keen to feature heavily in the tournament and showcase his ability on the biggest stage.

During his time in the Three Lions' camp he'll be working alongside United stars Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo, while he will also come across Tom Heaton, who has been asked to join Southgate's coaching team. Heaton is coming to the end of his contract at Old Trafford and is in talks with the club about the possibility of staying on.

It seems he will be mulling things over while in Germany, though, with Heaton drafted in to work with Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson.

Southgate said: "I am really pleased Tom has agreed to join us in Germany. Experience tells us that a tournament can put a lot of demand on our goalkeeping group led by Martyn Margetson. Tom will play an invaluable role on the training pitch supporting Jordan, Aaron and Dean.

"Off the field as someone we all know well, he will add to the positive environment we are always looking to create. We are grateful to Manchester United for their support in making this happen."