According to The Mirror, there are some fears at Arsenal over the future of striker Eddie Nketiah – but the situation isn’t quite as pressing as that of Folarin Balogun.
It’s claimed that Balogun looks set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season, seeking first-team opportunities elsewhere with his contract running down.
The report adds that Nketiah is ‘in a similar boat’ to Balogun in that he wants more playing time, and he could run down his contract too.
The situation ‘isn’t as desperate’ because Nketiah is only out of contract in 2022, meaning he has an extra year on top of Balogun’s deal, but Arsenal need to be mindful.
Nketiah turns 22 in May and won’t want to sit around at Arsenal forever, especially having only made three Premier League starts this season.
If Arsenal don’t plan to give Nketiah a new deal in the near future, they may be better off selling him this summer before he can run down his contract.
The Gunners did receive interest in Nketiah during the January window, with West Ham United keen to sign him as a replacement for Sebastien Haller.
No deal materialised, but West Ham were unable to bring in a striker at all, meaning they will be back in the market for a centre forward at the end of the season.
A move to West Ham would allow Nketiah to stay in London and play first-team football, whilst giving Arsenal money before he walks away next year – and that could be tempting given the lingering fear that he will leave for nothing.
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