Without question, Eddie Nketiah has been instrumental in helping Arsenal turn their form around that has seen the club win their last three games. Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham were massive challenges, and the Gunners won all three.
Arsenal could qualify for the Champions League if they win their next two games and Spurs drop points to Liverpool next weekend. The summer would become a period where the next step in the club’s evolution could then take place in an accelerated fashion.
Whilst talk of world-class signings is on fans' lips and tweets every day, the future must remain a key principle. The club managed to surprise everyone by re-signing Folarin Balogun to a brand-new contract at the end of last season.
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Despite his deal running down to the final months, Balogun decided to stay and has since gone on loan to Middlesbrough where he is flourishing. Meanwhile, Nketiah looks set to leave despite his late-season revival.
Nketiah wants assurances over his future pathway to regular time as the Arsenal striker. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gone and Alexandre Lacazette seemingly set to leave, there might have been the opportunity for that.
However, there are consistently strong reports linking the club to a multitude of strikers. Furthermore, football.london understands that not just one but two strikers are on the agenda.
One further sign that Nketiah’s future may lie elsewhere is a breakthrough in talks with 18-year-old youth striker Khayon Edwards. Similar to Balogun, Edwards was reaching the end of his Arsenal deal and links with Chelsea and Brighton amongst other sides were gaining traction.
However, according to The Athletic, speculation over his future will end as he is set to extend his deal to 2025. Come to the end of this new contract, Edwards would be 21 and knocking on the door of consistent senior football.
With Balogun returning in the summer and a pathway for Edwards seemingly laid out to convince him to stay, Nketiah’s time at the club has never looked more difficult. This is before even factoring that the likes of Gabriel Jesus could be walking through London Colney’s doors this summer.
Ultimately this is completely fine for Arsenal. Whilst Nketiah has impressed with his energy and goals against Chelsea, there have been moments where it becomes clear the gap between the young forward and what Arsenal need.
Against Manchester United, Nketiah was set through one-on-one with David De Gea and instead of a composed finish, he struck the ball powerfully but straight at the Spanish keeper. A huge opportunity that could have had big implications had the game turned out differently.
Against West Ham, Nketiah had several opportunities. He had six shots against West Ham with a combined xG of 0.48. He could have increased the chance of scoring in some moments by taking an extra touch and regaining composure but instead, his shots were wide of the mark or failed to seriously test Łukasz Fabiański.
These were the times where it was clear that an Arsenal with that world-class finisher would be on a different level and putting games to bed far sooner. Picking up more points and perhaps challenging for even higher positions in the league and cup competitions. The summer needs to be about ruthless progression, not second chances.
