Arsenal are set to push through a summer transfer for a wantaway star, according to reports.
While the Arsenal first team focus on their remaining three Premier League games as they challenge Manchester City for the title, the club's hierarchy has started drawing up plans ahead of transfer window.
There are expected to be multiple incomings and plenty of outgoings at the Emirates Stadium this summer, too, as Mikel Arteta continues to build a squad capable of challenging for all of the best honours in football.
According to TeamTalk, Arsenal are set to allow Eddie Nketiah pursue first team football elsewhere, with the striker having fallen out of favour under Arteta in recent months.
While the Hale End academy product has made 37 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season, just 13 of them have been from the start. The 24-year-old hasn't actually started a game since 2023, during Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Fulham on New Year's Eve, with Arteta preferring to utilise Kai Havertz in the advanced forward role now.
As a result, Nketiah is looking for a move away, with his preference to remain in London. The report suggests that Brentford and Crystal Palace are the clubs leading the race to secure his signature, in a deal that will provide them with a Premier League-ready striker, Nketiah with an opportunity at more regular first team football, and Arsenal with an influx of cash that will help them target other signings.
Indeed, the Gunners have been linked with bringing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak to the club in recent weeks, with the Swede's goalscoring form alerting sides from across Europe. Selling Nketiah will help Arsenal comply with the Premier League's PSRs, too, considering he'd represent pure profit on their balance sheet having come through the academy.
With three years stil remaining on his deal, Nketiah won't come cheap, either. Transfermarkt values him at £25m, though expect Arsenal to push that figure higher in the transfer window.
In FourFourTwo's view, Nketiah leaving makes sense to both the player and Arsenal. He's no longer a rising star happy with irregular minutes - he's an established striker who needs to prove he can score goals on a consistent basis. Crystal Palace have been linked with taking him in the past, too, highlighting their admiration for him.
