Alan Smith has stated that he was ‘so pleased’ Eddie Nketiah signed a new contract at Arsenal because he was never going to join a club like Liverpool, as he told Sky Sports.
The Highbury legend claimed that if Nketiah decided to let his contract run out at the Emirates, then he would have taken a ‘step-down’ from Arsenal and joined a ‘mid-table’ team instead.
But that didn’t happen for the 23-year-old, who extended his stay at his boyhood club, and along with it, he was handed the famous number 14 shirt, albeit, it did come with its controversy.
Even though Nketiah has that new deal, when Mikel Arteta’s side kick-off the new season at Crystal Palace, it should be the new summer signing, Gabriel Jesus, leading the line.
Nonetheless, this is what Smith made of Nketiah’s stay and how there was no way he was getting anything better than what he currently has now.
“I’m so pleased that he decided to stay, having had a really good run in the team towards the end of last season,” said Smith. “He did really well in that run and would have felt a big part of the group.
“I’m sure Arteta would have had many long conversations with him about how he wanted to use him and also that he would use him a lot more in games next season, especially with European football back at the Emirates Stadium.
“If Nketiah had left Arsenal, it would have been a step-down, there’s no doubt about that. He wasn’t going to Liverpool or Man City. It would have probably been a mid-table team.
“Arsenal is in his blood after coming through the academy and he’ll be really excited about the upcoming season now.”
TIME FOR NKETIAH TO STEP UP
From his 59 Premier League games, Nketiah has ten goals, with five of them coming last season and all beyond April.
The Hale-End star has had a stop-start time at the club, but this is where he now needs to get his engine going because he is starting to hit those senior footballing years.
Given that Jesus can play out wide, then it will be interesting to see if Arteta deploys the duo at the same time, but with the Gunners back in Europe, then it might not happen too much.
Nketiah might find that he is the one used on a regular basis in Europe, whilst Jesus will be tasked to strut his stuff in the Premier League.
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