Back in January, Arsenal had a January clear-out when offloading the likes of Mesut Özil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac.
It helped free up a large portion of the club’s wage bill, which will allow Mikel Arteta to reinvest those funds in his own targets.
However, another man should’ve joined them in leaving the Emirates Stadium – Eddie Nketiah.
The £45,000-a-week man has suddenly been frozen out by Arteta. He hasn’t played a single second of football since the 0-0 draw against Manchester United on January 30th.
West Ham were keen to sign the 10-cap England Under-21 international in January, according to the Evening Standard.
The Hammers had funds after selling Sebastien Haller, and in our view, a deal should’ve been done.
Why? Well, Arteta clearly has no use for Nketiah, so he should’ve been sold while his value was high and there was interest in him.
West Ham would’ve got their man, and Arsenal would’ve got a nice fee for a player who isn’t a key first-team figure.
Now, when the summer comes around, the 21-year-old will have just one season left on his contract, therefore weakening Arsenal’s negotiating stance.
The time to sell was in January. Now, there’s a chance that West Ham pursue other options.
You might argue that Nketiah’s value would be restored if he signs a new contract. However, why would he pen a new deal when he’s barely kicking a ball under Arteta?
Özil, Mustafi and Kolasinac were the headline exits in January, but in hindsight, Nketiah really should’ve joined them in leaving north London.
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