Arsenal not looking to sell Eddie Nketiah this window as Gunners risk another Folarin Balogun situation with competing youngsters
Nketiah not be sold by Arsenal this window as Gunners risk another Folarin Balogun situation with competing youngsters.
Last Updated: January 10, 2021 7:18 pm
Nketiah to stay
The future of Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah has been of some debate this season, with the England youth international having just one year remaining on his current contract.
Arsenal are already in a difficult situation regarding Folarin Balogun’s expiring deal, and despite Mikel Arteta having suggested in several press conferences that the 19-year-old wants to stay put, it appears as though he will be off very soon.
BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND – MARCH 03: Flo Balogun celebrates scoring his 2nd goal, Arsenal’s 4th, during the Premier League International Cup match between Arsenal FC and AS Monaco FC at Meadow Park on March 03, 2020 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Reports, though, suggest that Arsenal have no intention of allowing Nketiah to leave this month, despite interest on the part of West Ham.
Arsenal have no intention of selling Eddie Nketiah to West Ham in January. #whufc are looking for a replacement of Sebastien Haller but Arsenal are expected to keep Nketiah. ⚪️🔴 #afc
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 10, 2021
Decision time
With Nketiah, the Gunners need to make a decision. If they choose to renew his deal, then Arsenal are effectively putting their faith in Nketiah’s abilities as a senior striking option for years to come. Now 21 years old, Nketiah is entering the stage of his career when, if he is not receiving regular minutes, his stock will exponentially decline.
In 33 Premier League appearances (2658 minutes) thus far, the England youth international has managed just 4 goals. Whilst his cup competition record is considerably better, with 10 strikes across 25 FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League outings, Nketiah is yet to prove that he is ready to take on the mantle of first-choice hitman at a top club.
Nikolaj Moller signs for Arsenal. (Image courtesy of nordicsky.agency instagram)
Arsenal also have a plethora of young players coming through behind the 21-year-old, including the likes of Tyreece John-Jules and Nikolaj Moller. The former signed a new deal in north London in 2019, whilst the Swedish forward arrived from Malmo during the summer, penning a deal through 2024.
Should Nketiah extend, this would leave Moller and John-Jules headed for the same dilemma which currently faces Balogun.
Alexandre Lacazette too will have just a year left on his contract following the completion of the season, with a decision likely to be made on his future in the summer. The Gunners are yet to be linked with any potential marquee attacking signings, but this could of course change should either or both of the Frenchman and Nketiah move on.
The clock is ticking, and the decision-makers at the Emirates will soon need to make some tough choices, whilst doing their best to benefit all of their club, players and bank balance.
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This article was edited by Conor Laird.
Football Live streaming: Featured matches on January 17, 2020
| Game | Time | Predicted Score | Live Score Prediction/Live Score | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Manchester City FC vs Crystal Palace FC | 35' | 2-0 | 1-0 |
Arsenal betting odds, next game:
Arsenal vs Newcastle odds: result, both teams to score, correct score & goalscorers
| Arsenal vs Newcastle Result/Both teams score | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 5/2 | 5/4 |
| Newcastle | 12/1 | 10/1 |
| Draw | 5/1 | 10/1 |
| Arsenal vs Newcastle Goalscorers | First | Last | Anytime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | 6/4 | 6/4 | 8/11 |
| Alexandre Lacazette | 7/4 | 7/4 | 5/6 |
| Eddie Nketiah | 2/1 | 2/1 | 20/21 |
| Folarin Balogun | 11/4 | 11/4 | 11/8 |
| Nicolas Pepe | 11/4 | 11/4 | 11/8 |
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| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester United FC | 17 | 10 | 36 |
| 2 | Leicester City FC | 18 | 12 | 35 |
| 3 | Liverpool FC | 17 | 16 | 33 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 18 | 16 | 33 |
| 5 | Manchester City FC | 16 | 12 | 32 |
| 6 | Everton FC | 17 | 7 | 32 |
| 7 | Chelsea FC | 18 | 12 | 29 |
| 8 | Southampton FC | 18 | 5 | 29 |
| 9 | West Ham United FC | 18 | 4 | 29 |
| 10 | Aston Villa FC | 15 | 13 | 26 |
| 11 | Arsenal FC | 18 | 1 | 24 |
| 12 | Leeds United | 18 | -4 | 23 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 18 | -7 | 23 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 19 | -8 | 22 |
| 15 | Newcastle United FC | 17 | -9 | 19 |
| 16 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 19 | -7 | 17 |
| 17 | Burnley FC | 17 | -13 | 16 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 17 | -11 | 12 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 18 | -27 | 11 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 19 | -22 | 5 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 11 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 11 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 10 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 8 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 8 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 7 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 7 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 7 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 6 |
| Abraham, Tammy | Chelsea FC | 6 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 6 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 5 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 5 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 5 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 5 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 6 |
| Reid, Bobby | Fulham FC | 0 | 5 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Dunk, Lewis | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 4 |
| Phillips, Kalvin | Leeds United | 0 | 5 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 5 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 5 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 4 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 5 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 4 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 4 |
| Tielemans, Youri | Leicester City FC | 0 | 4 |
| Klich, Mateusz | Leeds United | 0 | 4 |
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| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 8 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 7 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 6 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Adams, Che | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 4 |
| Chilwell, Benjamin | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 4 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 3 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 3 |
