Arsenal have made a surprising contract offer to forward Eddie Nketiah, as per reports in the Athletic.
The Englishman was sent out on loan at the start of 2019/20 season to then Championship side Leeds United. He scored three goals for them but was sidelined for a month due to a lower-abdomen injury.
The 22-year-old was recalled from his loan spell early by the north Londoners in January 2020. He seemed to have gained the trust of Mikel Arteta having featured in 13 league games towards the backend of that season for the Gunners.
The game time continued into the previous campaign. The striker became a regular feature in the squad playing in 12 of the opening 14 Premier League matches. However, the youngster would play just 104 minutes across five league appearances from matchday 14[via transfermarkt].
In an unexpected turn of events, The Athletic are reporting that Arsenal have offered a contract extension to Nketiah. The club have decided to extend his contract to protect their investment and grant them some flexibility. After seeing Joe Willock’s remarkable loan spell at Newcastle, the club expects the Englishman’s value to similarly shoot up.
With uncertainty around his playing time for the Gunners, the Athletic suggests it is unlikely that the player will sign the deal. Nketiah, who was once labelled ‘extraordinary’ by Arteta(as per Metro), will have no shortage of interests if the north London club put him up for sale.
Arsenal Fever View:
Arsenal have observed the exponential growth of Willock during his loan spell at Newcastle and they expect Nketiah to repeat the same. The Gunners hope to tie him down to another deal before sending him out on loan next season.
A season of regular football can increase his value in the market but that is not going to be of significant proportion unless the 22-year-old mimics the goal-scoring rate of Willock.
However with just 12 months left in his current, if the England youth international rejects the offer any interested parties could wait until next summer to sign him as a free agent and this could be a major blow for the Emirates club.
With players like Folarin Balogun knocking on the doors for a first-team opportunity, it is strange that the club have opted for this strategy. Nketiah has shown glimpses of his quality in the Premier League and can fetch a decent sum. They should let go of their academy graduate if an important bid arrives and use that funds to strengthen other areas of the pitch.
