Darren Bent has claimed that it ‘surprises him’ that Crystal Palace want to sign Arsenal striker, Eddie Nketiah, as he told talkSPORT.
The former Premier League player was told that both Palace and Brighton seemingly want to sign the £20 million-rated player, as Bent thinks that the Arsenal poacher suits Graham Potter’s men more than their bitter rivals.
If Nketiah were to move to Palace, then he wouldn’t have to move out of London and he would link up with a certain legendary figure in Patrick Vieira.
But, in terms of game time and style of play, Brighton suits him best because they are looking for that poacher, a player that can just purely do the business inside the penalty box and finish off all the good work they do.
That was touched upon by Bent, who thinks that Brighton are ‘crying out’ for a player of Nketiah’s ilk.
“The Palace one surprises me when they have Benteke and Odsonne Edouard,” said Bent. “That surprises me a little bit.
“But Brighton, that is all they are crying out for. They play some of the nicest stuff. Danny Welbeck scored the other week, but his fitness has been an issue.
“Neal Maupay is like a patchy striker. He would have a period of scoring in three games here and then won’t score for a while.
“But Eddie Nketiah, all Brighton need is someone to stay in and around the box, then they will finish them off. Nketiah, for me, is a natural goalscorer, who will pick up them positions. Out of those two clubs, he suits Brighton.”
Nketiah’s contract does expire in north London in the summer and, so far, the signs suggest that he won’t sign on the dotted line.
For the Hale-End star, it does seem as though Mikel Arteta still wants him on board, so it’s a case of contract issues being the stumbling block.
Whilst other Premier League clubs are seemingly keen on Nketiah’s talents, he needs to remember that the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
But, on the other hand, he needs to be selfish and think about his future, it’s all about earning those regular minutes to seriously get his career going and take it to the next level because he is at that age and level of experience now.
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