A lot of Leeds United fans are confused that Arsenal have decided to keep Eddie Nketiah at the club rather than send him back out on loan to another Championship club.
The Gunners recalled Nketiah from Elland Road at the beginning of the month after he made only two league starts for the Whites.
Will Nketiah get game time for Arsenal?
Yes, Arteta must rate him
No, he should have stayed at Leeds
The reason Arsenal and Nketiah decided to leave Leeds was because he was not starting enough, and it was expected that he would be loaned to Bristol City, Sheffield Wednesday or Nottingham Forest.
However, David Ornstein has revealed that after talks with the club, Nketiah will now stay at the Emirates.
This has baffled these Leeds fans.
No second Championship loan for Nketiah. Staying with Arsenal. From @David_Ornstein:https://t.co/X7kodifBfp
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) January 15, 2020
Leaves us because he wanted 1st team football. Rejects moves to forest/Wednesday and Bristol to probably get 1st team football but decides to stay at Arsenal where he will behind Pierre and lacazette ?????
— Phil Clark (@PhilWesley08) January 16, 2020
No chances for Nketiah in Arteta team. Better for Leeds to enable option to return Nketiah back to Leeds in 2 weeks. May we consider this happen if Bielsa guarantee him more time?
— Rim (@Leningradskiy) January 16, 2020
That really doesnt make any sense regarding playing time,best eddie can hope for us fighting martinelli for third choice forward,game time limited I would imagine
— brad orme (@mebradcb) January 15, 2020
Makes absolutely no sense.. he will get less time at arsenal than he did at leeds!
— Tony Flynn (@tonylufcflynn) January 16, 2020
Recalled from Leeds due to lack of game time, so he can sit on the bench at Arsenal.
Smooth brain tactics.
— NJ – LUFC (@wafll247) January 15, 2020
Top decision from them to recall him then, thought they wanted more game time for him??
— Graham Burn (@Graham0411) January 15, 2020
Surely he would get more games from now to the end of the season with us?!?!
— Aaron Smyth (@aaronsmythy23) January 15, 2020
Mental decision. I hope the lad gets a shot at it, but I highly doubt it.
— Dave (@dav1dman) January 15, 2020
Sure he’ll get that first team football they wanted him to ????
— Dave S (@DaveFromLeeds) January 16, 2020
What do we think?
Nketiah will now have to compete with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Gabriel Martinelli.
It seems odd that Arsenal recalled him because he was not playing enough for Leeds and then have decided to make him compete with three other players.
The 20-year-old would have surely got more game time at Elland Road than he will at the Emirates.
The only real positive is that Nketiah will not be strengthening any of the Whites’ promotion rivals.
However, they are now desperately trying to find a striker when there will be a perfectly good one probably sitting on Arsenal’s bench.