Arsenal are pulling out all of the stops to keep Eddie Nketiah.
They are facing a massive battle to keep him as SIX Premier League clubs - including Crystal Palace and West Ham - want to sign him and TWO major European clubs are also keen. Arsenal remain hopeful of being able to strike a deal after holding further talks with Nketiah’s representatives as the 22-year-old is out of contract this summer.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to hang on to Nketiah despite only giving him a proper run in the team during the past few weeks. Nketiah has started Arsenal’s last five games, scored four goals and the club are willing to dramatically increase his salary from being one of the lowest paid first teamers as a former academy graduate into being a big earner.
Nketiah’s contract situation means he holds all the aces now and a host of Prem clubs are keen with Palace having put in huge effort to get him, having tried to sign him last summer and in January. West Ham have also shown an interest while Brighton and Newcastle are among the others while a serious club in Germany is among the other two unnamed foreign clubs.
England under-21 striker Nketiah would get a lucrative deal as a free agent but Arsenal hope that Arteta’s faith in starting him plus fresh talks will persuade him to stay alongside fellow academy graduates like Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka. Arsenal are almost resigned to losing Alexandre Lacazette who is out of contract this summer, they have offered him a one year deal and that could increase if they get Champions League football but his former club Lyon are offering a longer contract.
Arsenal are hoping to keep Nketiah which would mean then they only end up signing one striker with Manchester City ’s Gabriel Jesus firmly on their radar but that deal is far from certain with fears he could stay or go abroad. They have also looked at Everton ’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Benfica striker Darwin Nunez has also been linked.
