Transfer News: Crystal Palace Reach Verbal Agreement To Sign Arsenal Star On Deadline Day

ARSENAL and Crystal Palace have reportedly reached a verbal agreement for the sale of Gunners defender Rob Holding.

According to Chris Wheatley on X (formerly Twitter), the 27-year-old centre-back will cost the Eagles in the region of £4. Roy Hodgson confirmed to Sky Sports that Palace are interested in Holding and that they could still bring in more players before the window closes.

Crystal Palace have agreed a fee in the region of £4m for Arsenal defender Rob Holding. pic.twitter.com/8j15EkGZXP

— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley) September 1, 2023

He is a player who has interested us for a while. Dougie Freedman knows him very well. If he was available and it’s a deal that is doable, I’d be very happy to work with him’, said the veteran manager.

‘We’re working on the basis that you can’t have too many quality players in your squad. Our squad is not that massive. There is space in the 25-man squad for another player. If it could be Rob we’d be happy with that’.

Holding was clearly deemed surplus to requirements

The departure of Holding will not come as a surprise since he was clearly considered to be surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium by Mikel Arteta. He arrived at the club in 2016 from Bolton.

He was one of a group of players that the club was prepared to allow to leave in order to balance the books this summer. These also include Arsenal’s one-time most-expensive purchase, Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivory Coast international winger failed to make a significant impact after arriving in London from Ligue 1 outfit Lille in 2019.

Pepe’s contract could be ripped up

According to The Sun, the Gunners are contemplating ripping up Pepe’s contract. Despite Arteta saying that he was not expecting any more new arrivals before the transfer window shuts, there have been rumours circulating that Edu and his team have enquired about the former Manchester City defender Eric Garcia, who is currently playing for Barcelona.

Flo Balogun, Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares have all recently walked out of the exit doors at the Emirates. Arteta told the aforementioned news outlet: ‘I don’t expect anyone else to come in this window and we’re working to find the best possible solutions for some players leaving us’.

‘The players are happy and the club has done some good business as well. We didn’t have space in our squad for Flo to have the minutes he needed and he wanted the chance to continue to develop his career. But he has gone to a good club with Monaco and I am really happy for him. I don’t expect anyone else to come in’.