Former Crystal Palace chairman and well-known talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has suggested that striker Eddie Nketiah’s future with Arsenal is well-and-truly up in the air.
According to the pundit, the Gunners will bolster their roster in the summer by bringing in a quality striker, which could leave Nketiah surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have outperformed expectations in the Premier League this season, sitting atop the standings with only seven games remaining.
While Arsenal have looked practically unstoppable with their first-team players, they have failed to establish their dominance on their second-string.
Nketiah, the team’s second-choice center-forward, scored a few vital goals while Gabriel Jesus was out last year, but he hasn’t been as consistent since the Brazilian’s comeback from injury.
Jordan stated that Nketiah will not be relied on for long as the Londoners intend to get a better second-choice center-forward this summer.
On talkSPORT, Jordan said: “I think they will get better. I think also they will buy better. They’ve got the ear and the eyes of the Kroenke family. (Arsenal’s owners) are more invested than they have ever been before. And, with all due respect, you will have better players than Eddie Nketiah because they will buy bigger.”
What Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta thinks about Eddie Nketiah
Nketiah has four goals in 24 Premier League appearances this season, including a brace in the Gunners’ 3-2 triumph against Manchester United in January.
However, the England Under-21 international has not scored in his last seven Premier League games.
Arteta, on the other hand, isn’t forgetting the part Nketiah has played in a season that could yet conclude in glory.
“What Eddie is doing is incredible,” Arteta says of the academy graduate.
“Losing Gabby was a big blow. But Eddie is responding. The qualities that he has, how much he wants it, how much belief he’s got in himself to become Arsenal’s number nine…”
“His desire, his background, we’re with him every single day. (He is) a special kid. He’s so loved by everybody at the football club. He’s got a real Arsenal heart and experience within him, and that’s really special. You cannot put that into numbers. He’s really, really good.”
As Jordan stated, the Gunners would be wise to back Arteta’s philosophy and provide him with the players he requires.
It would also be beneficial for Nketiah to move on and sign with a team that not only plays a more direct brand of football but also gives him consistent playing time.
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