Former Premier League owner Simon Jordan believes Arsenal will strengthen their squad in the transfer window with Eddie Nketiah one player who may be fighting for his place in Mikel Arteta’s plans.
While title rivals Manchester City could lose Erling Haaland and bring in Julian Alvarez, or replace Nathan Ake with Aymeric Laporte, much has been made of the drop-off in quality that exists between Arsenal’s starting XI and their second string.
Rob Holding has struggled in William Saliba’s absence. Kieran Tierney does not offer anywhere near the same control and poise as Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. And, while Eddie Nketiah scored a handful of key goals when Gabriel Jesus was stuck on the treatment table post-Christmas, his all-round game remains rather limited in comparison to Arsenal’s multi-faceted, Brazil international number nine.
Does Eddie Nketiah have a future at Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal?
Jordan believes that Arsenal are only just getting started as a Premier League force; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and co all under the age of 24.
The former Crystal Palace chairman is also expecting Arsenal to pad out their rather thin squad with some high-quality additions in future transfer windows; Nketiah one of those who may be left by the wayside.
“I think they will get better. I think also they will buy better,” Jordan tells talkSPORT (19 April, 12.50pm).
“They’ve got the ear and the eyes of the Kroenke family. (Arsenal’s owners) are more invested than they have ever been before. And, with all due respect, you will have better players than Eddie Nketiah because they will buy bigger.”
Nketiah has scored four goals in nine top-flight starts this term, including a match-winning brace against Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United in January.
The 23-year-old has not featured on the scoresheet since then, however; Premier League winner Chris Sutton pointing out that Nketiah’s impact has diminished since Jesus returned from injury.
“What Arsenal are doing is brilliant,” the former Blackburn Rovers poacher tells the BBC. “(But) Eddie Nketiah has lost his way a bit.”
‘Incredible’
Arteta, however, is not losing sight of the role Nketiah has played in a season which could still end in glory.
“What Eddie is doing is incredible,” Arteta says of the academy graduate.
“Losing Gabby was a big blow. But Eddie is responding. The qualities that he has, how much he wants it, how much belief he’s got in himself to become Arsenal’s number nine…
“His desire, his background, we’re with him every single day. (He is) a special kid. He’s so loved by everybody at the football club. He’s got a real Arsenal heart and experience within him, and that’s really special. You cannot put that into numbers. He’s really, really good.”
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