Arsenal look set to recruit an attacker in the summer window, and this would spell an end for Eddie Nkeitah’s Arsenal hopes.
Nketiah is expected to be one of several departures in the summer, and he could attract a healthy fee given his status as an England International on a long-term contract.
Should he depart, Nketiah will be the second homegrown striker to depart within 12 months, following the sale of Folarin Balogun to Monaco last summer.
Balogun moved for around £34m, and has since struggled in a new system despite impressing at Stade De Reims on loan last season.
Arsenal’s sale proved to be a masterstroke, and Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that they could repeat their strategy over Balogun’s sale with Nketiah.
Arsenal could repeat Folarin Balogun exit strategy with Eddie Nketiah
Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano explained that given the strong interest from several clubs in Nketiah, Arsenal may happily wait like they did with Balogun, rather than rushing into a sale.
“For Nketiah, I believe that will be an interesting situation in the summer. It would be similar to what happened with Balogun last summer, so a kind of waiting game, waiting for the right opportunity, the right proposal,” he stated.
“Last summer for Balogun in the end was Monaco, but there was interest also from Italian clubs including Inter, so I think for Nketiah there’s always been interest from clubs in Germany, they always have appreciated the player, and of course from the Premier League.
“Nketiah is appreciated by West Ham, same for Crystal Palace, so now it is still early to see if these clubs will return, but I think Nketiah could be in demand this summer, and obviously with Arsenal’s intention to bring in a new striker, I think it’s a possibility for him to be sold.”
Arsenal could adopt patient strategy over Eddie Nketiah
Given that there is interest from several clubs in Nketiah, a patient strategy may be best.
Whilst the money from his sale can be reinvested, waiting until the end of the summer could drive Nketiah’s price tag up.
Nketiah is a player who has performed well at times for Arsenal, and for a lot of Premier League clubs, he could be a homegrown striker with the potential to massively improve in front of goal.
Later on in the window, a Premier League side may become desperate to panic-buy a striker, and Nketiah could present himself with an opportunity to be a key player elsewhere, with Arsenal also profiting significantly.