Crystal Palace opens talks with Eberechi Eze for a long term deal

Crystal Palace are expected to open contract negotiation talks with Eberechi Eze, according to reports.

The England international was subject to interest from a number of clubs this summer, with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham pursuing a deal.

In the end, the former QPR star stayed in south London and now the club are keen to tie Eze down to a new deal.

According to The Sun, Palace are likely to offer 25the -year-old a deal worth '£5million-a-year' and could even include a release fee in the deal.

With 10 goals and four assists from his 38 Premier League appearances last campaign, it's clear to see why the Eagles are keen to retain their man.

In August, Mail Sport revealed that Eze had been on City’s radar for the last six months after senior scouts were left heavily impressed by his control of games for the Eagles.

The Treble winners had been looking for a midfielder, prior to signing Matheus Nunes from Wolves, and were strongly considering a move for the Palace star.

Eze moved to Selhurst Park from QPR in 2020 and has become a key figure in the Eagles side, forcing his way into the England squad thanks to performances last season.

This summer, after Chelsea launched a £35million bid to sign Palace winger Michael Olise, the club swiftly acted to tie the forward down to a new four-year deal.

There had been confidence behind the scenes at Palace for a number of weeks that Olise would sign fresh terms with the Eagles this summer.

However, Chelsea's interest was known to have turned Olise's head to the point where the Stamford Bridge club tabled a formal offer for the attacker believing he wanted to join.

But, privately, Palace were insistent that Olise would not be leaving the Selhurst Park

amid tensions between the two clubs over Chelsea's conduct during the proposed transfer.