Eberechi Eze can make Manchester United transfer plan clear to Erik ten Hag as challenge set

Eberechi Eze is no stranger to playing Manchester United.

This weekend's match will be the 10th time he has for Crystal Palace, only appearing more often against Aston Villa and Leeds United, who he also faced during his time at Queens Park Rangers.

Eze, 26, has been on the winning side four times, including in both fixtures last season with the Eagles doing the league double over United for the first time. But despite Palace's success, he had largely been peripheral to it.

Before last season, Eze had only started once against the Reds, during a 0-0 draw in March 2021. And despite beginning both of the most recent matches, he has yet to score or assist a goal in their meetings.

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Changing that could go a long way to securing a move to United next summer. As the Manchester Evening News reported earlier this month, Eze is of interest to the club and a forward they are monitoring as they plan to sign a wide player once this season ends.

Despite primarily playing centrally for Palace, the England international almost exclusively features from the left for his national team, previously under Gareth Southgate and now for Lee Carsley. Roy Hodgson and Patrick Vieira also used him out wide during their tenures at Palace.

That role in the United side has been Marcus Rashford's under manager Erik ten Hag despite the Academy graduate starting as a striker in the midweek Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Barnsley. Whether both would be able to co-exist at United - functionally and financially - appears unclear.

Eze has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract at Selhurst