Eddie Nketiah’s excellent performance against Leeds United has given Arsenal a reminder that extending his contract is the route to go down. The 22-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season.
The striker scored two early goals for the Gunners, as Mikel Arteta’s side ran rampant against a relegation-threatened Leeds side. The win has put Arsenal in the driving seat for Champions League qualification ahead of the north London derby on Thursday evening.
Nketiah has now scored four goals in the last four games he has started showing how crucial he has been to the team. The Gunners were in poor form before he was given the chance to lead the line for Arsenal, but Nketiah’s impact on the side has helped the north London side find form at the perfect time.
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The 22-year-old has scored more goals than Harry Kane since being introduced into the starting XI, with Kane grabbing one in his last four games. The two strikers are set to lead their sides in the north London derby where the Gunners can secure a top-four finish with two games remaining.
Despite Nketiah's major impact towards the end of this season, there is no guarantee that he will be at the club to experience Champions League football for the first time in his career if Arsenal finish fourth. However, his recent performance highlights why Arsenal should issue him a new contract.
The Gunners will be in desperate need of a striker at the end of the season due to the likely departure of Alexandre Lacazette, with his contract also set to expire. If Nketiah was to depart alongside the Frenchman then the Gunners would need at least two strikers as Folarin Balogun would be the only remaining striker at the club. New additions would be required to combat the need for greater squad depth if Arsenal secure a return to the Champions League.
With Nketiah signing a new contract, not only would Arsenal have a solid back up striker, but it would also allow Edu to spend a lot of money on one striker rather than splitting the finances over two players, which means a player of better quality can be signed.
According to Italian news outlet La Gazzette dello Sport, the Gunners have set their sights on Osimhen, and are currently in the lead when it comes to important Premier League clubs chasing his signature. The report also goes on to claim that Napoli are likely to demand £82million for the striker, which is a significant amount.
But keeping Nketiah at the club would give room to spend this much money on one player. His excellent performance against Leeds further highlighted that he can succeed as a striker at Arsenal.
