Football journalist Chris Wheatley has claimed that striker Eddie Nketiah will leave the club on a free transfer next season after refusing a move to Crystal Palace in the summer.
Having been linked with a move to Palace late in the transfer market, it now appears that according to Wheatley, it was Nketiah and not Arsenal who decided to pull the plug on that deal.
At this moment in time, the young English forward has just one year left on his current deal which expires in June 2020. Not leaving the Gunners in the past transfer window will now provide him with the chance to depart the club for free next summer.
While talking on his own YouTube show, Wheatley explained the current situation (03:15): “Eddie Nketiah is another player whose contract expires next summer.
“He was linked with a move to Crystal Palace, and I’m told there were certainly talks and there was an agreement between Arsenal and Crystal Palace. But the player failed to agree personal terms.
He then added (03:51): “It does look like Nketiah will be leaving next summer for free. He can sign a pre-contract agreement, just like all the other players whose contracts are expiring, he can sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January.”
TIF thoughts on Eddie Nketiah and Arsenal…
Nketiah has certainly shown plenty of promise as a fine finisher despite his young age. Indeed, the 22-year-old is the England under-21 all-time top goalscorer.
Was Eddie Nketiah right to refuse Crystal Palace?
Yes
No
He hasn’t quite been as prolific at senior level, but still has 13 goals for Arsenal’s first-team. He also netted five times while out on loan at Leeds United when they were in the Championship.
To this point, a single appearance in Premier League 2 suggests first-team opportunities may be limited for Nketiah this season. After all, if Wheatley is correct in saying the youngster has decided to leave the club, Mikel Arteta will not feel obliged to give him much game time.