Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has claimed that he has ‘more faith than ever’ in young striker Eddie Nketiah as he prepares to begin his period standing in for summer addition Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus suffered a knee injury while on international duty with Brazil in Qatar, and following surgery is set to spend a further two months sidelined, leaving Nketiah as the Gunners’ only recognised striker at the club.
And he is yet to truly win over his critics, with the 23-year-old signing a new deal in the summer but yet to score in 12 substitute appearances this season in the Premier League.
It has led to fears that his inclusion in the team may see Arsenal throw away their 5 point lead at the top of the Premier League and slip back towards pre-season expectations of top four come the end of the season.
Gunners boss Arteta has been quick to talk up the youngster, however, explaining why he continues to persist with Nketiah.
“I’ve more faith in Eddie Nketiah every single day, because we see everyday what he brings to the team, what he is as a human being, the way he is developing as a player”, the Gunners boss explained ahead of their clash with the Hammers.
“He is ready, that is why he signed his contract - he is key player in our squad”
His presence, however, has not ruled out the addition of a striker this January. Quizzed on transfers, Arteta once more confirmed that he expected his side to be active in the market this winter.
“We want to sign players early in January as we did last summer. What we cannot afford is get a player here that is not for us”, the Spaniard explained.
“We don’t need a body, we just need players that make the team better. We are aligned with Edu and the board”.
The club have been linked with the likes of Memphis Depay, Joao Felix and Dusan Vlahovic, but Eddie Nketiah can once again prove that he is the right man for the job when the Premier League season resumes against West Ham on Boxing day.
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