It had up until recently seemed pretty clear that Eddie Nketiah’s future lay away from Arsenal.
He’s spent most of this season on the bench and was expected to leave when his contract expires at the end of June. His own representatives have even held discussions with other overseas clubs across the past few months.
However, in recent weeks the Arsenal academy prospect has been handed a more starring role in his side’s attack, playing ahead of Alexandre Lacazette and rewarding Mikel Arteta with a host of impressive performances.
Understandably there are now several clubs reportedly keen to secure the 22-year-old’s signature, however Arteta and technical director Edu might well be reconsidering their stance on the striker, especially given the lack of options they currently have within their attack.
We know bringing in a new forward is a priority for the north London side as they aim to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who departed in January, as well Lacazette, who will most likely leave for free at the end of the season too.
Numerous big names are on their radar, and a marquee recruit is expected. Yet even so, there’s now a sense that letting a player like Nketiah go for free could be a decision the club could come to regret.
Nketiah is now finally showcasing some of the ability that made him such an exciting prospect coming through at Arsenal, and he’s been an integral part of their much improved attacking performances recently.
He’s great at dropping into pockets inside the final third and laying the ball off to dangerous teammates around him. This has resulted in opponents increasingly struggling to cope with combinations between him and the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe inside their half.
The forward has also looked great when receiving the ball and turning to drive toward goal. His technical ability means he can dribble through tight spaces and work himself into good shooting positions on a regular basis.
Although he never got on the scoresheet in Sunday’s win at West Ham, he was a constant threat to Lukasz Fabianski’s goal. The 22-year-old finished the game having attempted more shots (six) and more shots on target (four) than any other player on the pitch.
Another trait he boasts is speed, and that’s something predecessors like Aubameyang and Lacazette have lacked. The same gives Arsenal another option when attacking, no longer reliant on just playing short and into the feet of attackers dropping in, with Nketiah they can also look to play more direct by firing balls in behind and turning a defensive line.
Nketiah can also use that pace to help launch fast breaks in transitions, and it wasn’t a surprise that only Martin Odegaard managed more progressive runs than the forward against West Ham (five) on Sunday.
Although Nketiah’s best form has often evaded him in an Arsenal shirt, we’re now starting to see just what he is capable of with a run of games under his belt. While many had written him off, it’s easy to forget that his prime years are still some way ahead of him.
The Gunners might face more competition to persuade him to stay than initially expected, yet his performances recently indicate why it’d be worth convincing him to do so.
