Fabrizio Romano has given CaughtOffside the latest on the future of Arsenal duo Ben White and Eddie Nketiah.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Romano had positive updates on both players, stating that White looks to be heading in a positive direction in terms of talks over a new contract with the Gunners.
Although a new deal is not done yet, Romano expects talks to continue and insists there is no sign of any concern behind the scenes.
“Contacts between Arsenal and Ben White over a new deal continue. I’m told the conversation is going very well. They will keep negotiating and talk in the next days/weeks, but it’s getting closer,” Romano said.
“I know fans are keen for regular updates and this one had perhaps gone a bit quiet since I first reported it some weeks ago, but there is no concern there as far as I understand. It’s progressing well and talks will continue.”
Meanwhile, he also played down talk of Nketiah potentially leaving the Emirates Stadium, insisting that Mikel Arteta is happy with the player, even if there have been various transfer rumours about the north London giants potentially signing a new striker.
“There’s also no concern over Eddie Nketiah – Mikel Arteta is very happy with Nketiah’s behaviour off the pitch, in training and obviously with his performances on the pitch,” Romano added.
“So it’s all very quiet at this stage, even if there have been links with new strikers and some outlets have cast doubt over Nketiah’s future as a result of this. That’s not my current understanding of the situation.”
Arsenal fans will surely be pleased with the news on White in particular, while Nketiah is also a pretty popular player, even if some fans might be unsure about him as a long-term option.