Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah may only be able to allowed to leave the club if Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic arrives this summer.
That’s according to The London Evening Standard, who claim that Crystal Palace are interested in signing Nketiah.
Nketiah is out of contract at the end of the season and has so far indicated that he will be leaving Arsenal this summer.
Selling Nketiah to Palace before he walks away maybe sensible, but Arsenal have concerns.
Folarin Balogun has joined Middlesbrough on loan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal future is unclear.
Losing Nketiah now without a replacement would be a potential nightmare for Mikel Arteta, and Nketiah could be forced to stay at Arsenal.
Arsenal would only let Nketiah – branded extraordinary by Arteta – go if they pull off a blockbuster deal to sign Fiorentina hitman Vlahovic.
Arsenal are working on a £58million deal to sign Vlahovic, but it won’t be easy to tempt one of Europe’s top strikers to North London.
Vlahovic, 21, has smashed 16 goals in 20 games this season and just can’t stop scoring for Fiorentina.
Expected to be in-demand across Europe this summer, Arsenal are trying to move in now and beat the competition to Vlahovic.
The Serbian would be an unbelievable coup for Arsenal, but he may want to wait until the summer to decide his future.
If that is the case, then Nketiah may also have to wait a few months to sort out his own future with Arsenal reluctant to sell now.
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