Mikel Arteta has made it clear that Eddie Nketiah has no future at Arsenal by leaving him on the bench in the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, according to pundit Chris Sutton.
The former Chelsea and Blackburn striker admits it looks like it’s surely over for Nketiah at the Emirates Stadium after Kai Havertz was selected up front in the Gunners’ most recent game, with Arteta still somehow not finding room for the England international despite Gabriel Jesus missing the game through injury.
Nketiah has had some fine moments in the Arsenal first-team after rising up through the north Londoners’ academy, but at this stage of his career he doesn’t seem to have improved enough since he was a youngster first breaking through.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed to CaughtOffside that Crystal Palace and other clubs have an interest in Nketiah, but it looks like it could be a difficult deal to get done at the moment due to Arsenal not looking likely to be able to find a replacement.
It may be that Nketiah will end up staying at Arsenal this January, but Sutton clearly thinks the Liverpool game is a clear signal from Arteta that he doesn’t fancy the player for the long run.
“If I’m Eddie Nketiah, I’m wondering how I’m benched and [thinking that] I don’t have a future at Arsenal if I’m not starting as a central striker,” Sutton told the It’s All Kicking Off Podcast.
“[Mikel Arteta is] desperate, I get that, but what message does that send to Nketiah if Havertz is at number nine, what is Nketiah thinking?
“If I’m Nketiah, I’m thinking I can’t stay at Arsenal any longer, if you play a guy who has shackles on, come on, he has no future at Arsenal.”