Arsenal are bracing themselves for summer approaches for striker Eddie Nketiah.
The Gunners are involved in a tense three-way title tussle with Liverpool and defending champions Manchester City.
Looking to win the club’s first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles in 2004, Mikel Arteta’s focus will be firmly on next weekend’s blockbuster away against Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens.
However, while Arsenal will not want any distractions ahead of Easter Sunday’s mammoth title decider, the club are reportedly aware of mounting interest in Nketiah.
Arsenal transfer news: Premier League trio ‘readying’ Eddie Nketiah approach
The London-born striker, according to Football Insider, has emerged as a summer target Thomas Frank Brentford. The Bees have identified Arsenal’s number 14 as a possible long-term replacement for Ivan Toney, who is expected to move on, but they face competition from Crystal Palace and Wolves.
The trio of English sides are all thought to be ‘readying moves’ for Nketiah after the forward slipped down Arteta’s pecking order following the emergence of Kai Havertz as a false nine.
Having come through the Gunners’ youth academy, Nketiah’s proposed sale would represent 100 per cent profit on the club’s accounts, so his departure could certainly appeal to the ownership, especially considering the pressure put on clubs to comply with Financial Fair Play’s spending regulations.
Irrespective of the commercial aspects though, Nketiah’s potential departure could benefit all parties for different reasons. The player needs regular playing time and Arsenal need to evolve their squad, which would be highlighted even further if they fall short of winning the title again this season.
Since being promoted to Arsenal’s senior first-team in 2019, the Gunners’ number 14, who spent the second half of that season on loan at Leeds United, has since scored 38 goals and registered seven assists in 164 games in all competitions.