Simon Jordan has said that Eddie Nketiah has made the right move going to Leeds on loan this season.
Leeds swooped towards the end of the summer window when it looked like the young Arsenal striker was going to agree a move to Championship rivals Bristol City.
He’s yet to start in the Championship but has already made his mark at Leeds, scoring three goals in five games, including the winner against Brentford.
Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 11.30am), Nketiah was asked whether it was good to be at a club where there was a huge amount of pressure on the team to win promotion.
“Yeah, that was the part of moving there,” Nketiah said. “They have a great crowd every week and it’s great to play in front of them.”
Jordan was asked if he had made the right move going to Leeds.
“Massively,” said Jordan. “Not just because he’s playing under an elite manager, but because he’s got a blueprint to follow.
“The current England captain [Harry Kane], went down the leagues, learned his craft and is now England captain, so I think it’s entirely the right thing to do.”
Nketiah the man to fire Leeds to glory?
Leeds struggled for goals last season.
They dominated games in terms of possession and created a lot of chances, but they scored 20 less than champions Norwich, five less than Sheffield United who finished above them in second, and 14 and nine goals less than West Brom (fourth) and Aston Villa (fifth) respectively.
Meanwhile, Nketiah was getting Premier League minutes with Arsenal and boasted an xG of 0.64 in the 18/19 season, with a pass success rate of 80.9%. Nketiah also won more than half of his 7.56 dribbles per 90 minutes. [WyScout]
So far this season, he’s got a surely unsustainable xG of 1.01 per 90 minutes and must be close to getting his first start in the Championship.
First league start on Sunday?
Former Leeds player Noel Whelan called Nketiah “brilliant” after he scored two goals for the England Under-21 side against Turkey at the weekend and tipped him for a first league start against Barnsley on Sunday.
Talking to Football Insider he said, “He looks brilliant when you watch him play. Sharp, mobile, hungry. And he knows how to finish. Patrick has done very little wrong after starting the season well.
“Nketiah will have planted a seed in Bielsa’s mind with his goals for England. It’s definitely increased his chances of starting at the weekend against Barnsley.”
Patrick Bamford blanked in the 1-0 defeat to Swansea, Leeds’ first loss in the league, and that may well have given Nketiah the chance he’s been waiting for.