It seems increasingly likely that Eddie Nketiah will leave Arsenal once his contract expires this summer. 90 minutes he understands, with Liverpool and Chelsea among those keeping an eye on his situation.
Nketiah has been a regular starter for the Gunners of late, unseating Alexandre Lacazette in the number nine spot after months of watching from the bench, and has scored four goals in his last six Premier League games.
That streak of goals included a brace in Arsenal’s stunning 4-2 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, prompting manager Mikel Arteta to admit that “if there is one player I have been unfair to [in terms of playing time]I think it’s him.’
Nketiah has publicly stated that he wants to explore all the options available to him at the end of his contract, with his main ambition being to play regular first-team football.
Arsenal remain hopeful that he will sign a new long-term contract, but 90 minutes has learned that a summer exit is now looking increasingly likely for Nketiah, despite Arteta publicly stating that it remains an integral part of his plans.
West Ham, Newcastle, Everton and Crystal Palace are among the teams firmly interested in signing him on a free transfer, but 90 minutes He understands that Liverpool and Chelsea are also monitoring the Nketiah situation, with both clubs believing the 22-year-old could be an attractive team option to boost their already strong forward lines.
Listen now to the new 90min podcast, Talking Transferscon scott saunders, graeme bailey & Toby Cudworth. On the agenda this week are Erling Haaland’s transfer to Manchester City, Ralf Rangnick’s recommendation of Konrad Laimer to Manchester United and the latest on the contract situations of Youri Tielemans and Sadio Mane.
Liverpool are still hoping to win an unprecedented quadruple, though it hinges on an unexpected mishap from Manchester City in the Premier League title race, while Chelsea are their opponents in this season’s FA Cup final. .
Nketiah actually spent the formative years of his career at Chelsea, progressing through their youth setup before being released in 2015.
He then joined Arsenal’s academy and two years later Arsene Wenger gave Nketiah his first professional appearance: a brief cameo in a Europa League clash with BATE Borisov.
–
