Ian Wright has shared that he ‘hasn’t seen enough’ hunger, drive or determination from Arsenal striker, Eddie Nketiah, as he told the Kelly and Wrighty Show on Premier League Productions (14/04/22 at 1:10 pm).
The Highbury legend added that even though there are suggestions that Nketiah wants to leave Arsenal, he still hasn’t taken the opportunities presented to him.
From his 13 Premier League games this season, the 22-year-old is yet to score a goal and he has only netted in the EFL Cup – against Wimbledon, Leeds and Sunderland.
That’s not exactly something to scream and shout about for the Hale-End academy product, especially when Mikel Arteta is craving for a regular goalscorer.
Wright touched upon Nketiah’s situation and how he has been left unimpressed by the player that wants to leave when his contract runs out in the summer.
“Eddie Nketiah, who we were hoping might be the one to step in,” said Wright. “He has opportunities to come on and make changes in games.
“I haven’t really seen it. We have seen Folarin Balogun go out on loan to Middlesbrough after signing a five-year deal. You are thinking is he somebody you could have thrown in. Could he have a chance?
“As a striker, you come in and nick a couple of goals. All of a sudden, things change for you. This is why I was very surprised with Eddie Nketiah, I thought he might have grabbed that nettle and really gone with it.
“Being a striker and seeing the main strikers struggle. You are thinking ‘I just want a chance to get on there’. Every time I have seen him come on, I haven’t seen enough, hunger, drive or determination to get that goal to make the manager say ‘yes, I can put my marker on you’.
“There are rumours that he’s going to leave. He might want to leave. But still, it’s an opportunity to show what you have got and are capable of. You look at Arsenal now, they are struggling to score goals. He’s a striker. I’m not even sure how many goals he has this season. He might not even have ten.”
Whilst Alexandre Lacazette hasn’t exactly lifted everybody up from their seats with his goalscoring.
He has helped Arsenal’s forward line connect together and brought the best out of the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.
Nketiah isn’t that type of a player, he is a fox-in-the box and someone who finishes off the attacking action.
Perhaps Nketiah needs to be on the same pitch as Lacazette in order to get the best out of himself on a regular basis.
Either way, with only months remaining on his current deal, Arsenal aren’t going to miss him too much when he heads for the exit door.
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