Arsenal should sell Nketiah in January

James Shearman

• Updated: 1 Dec 2021 14:45 CST
• 3 min read

Eddie Nketiah has turned down Arsenal's latest contract offer, paving the way for his exit from the club.

The striker's contract expires at the end of the season, meaning he will able to leave on a free transfer upon its conclusion.

As a result, the Gunners are desperate to tie him down to a long-term deal but it appears his mind is made up.

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The 22-year-old's decision is thought to have been a result of a lack of gametime and not based on finances, according to Sky Sports.

And unless either Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette are sold, assurances of first-team football would not be sincere.

Nketiah to leave?

Nketiah broke into Arenal's senior squad in the second half of the 2019/20 season, after a loan spell at Leeds in the Championship.

He then went on to make 17 league appearances last season, scoring twice.

However, the youngster has failed to make a single appearance in the Premier League this campaign, despite scoring in both Carabao Cup games.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he is looking to move on.

And Arsenal shouldn't stand in his way either, instead actively offering him to clubs in the January transfer window would be the smarter choice.

Nketiah will be able to agree a pre-contract deal in January, but only with foreign teams, and he will most likely want to stay in England.

This means that Arsenal should see if they can attract a fee for England's U21 record goalscorer from a domestic club next month before they lose him for nothing at the end of June.

An English club would surely look to do this, even though they could potentially sign the player on a free months later, to avoid facing the same level of competition for his signature.

If the Gunners were to command a fee in the region of £10 million for Nketiah, it's hard to imagine that a fellow Premier League side wouldn't take a punt.

The 22-year-old might not have shone in England's top flight as of yet, but a player with such potential will attract interest from a whole host of clubs.