5.9k Share this
Arsenal ‘pulling out all the stops to keep Eddie Nketiah’ with manager Mikel Arteta ‘desperate’ to keep out-of-contract star – with ‘SIX Premier League clubs including West Ham and Crystal Palace eyeing free transfer’
- Eddie Nketiah’s contract at Arsenal expires at the end of this season
- The 22-year-old has started the Gunners’ last five games, scoring four goals
- Mikel Arteta wants to keep him and the club could massively increase his salary
- West Ham are in pole position to sign Nketiah should he not renew at Arsenal
Arsenal are reportedly hopeful of keeping Eddie Nketiah this summer with the 22-year-old striker out-of-contract at the end of the season.
The forward has started the Gunners’ last five games and has scored four goals, including braces on Sunday against Leeds and two weeks ago away at Chelsea.
As a result, Mikel Arteta is said to be desperate to keep Nketiah and The Mirror report that the club are willing to increase his salary from one of the first-team’s lowest earners to one of the highest-paid.
Arsenal are reportedly hopeful of signing Eddie Nketiah to a new contract this summer
Mikel Arteta is said to be desperate to keep Nketiah after his recent run in front of goal
The report also details that as many as six Premier League clubs are eyeing a free transfer for the forward this summer, with two major European clubs also interested.
Crystal Palace and West Ham are among the interested parties – Sportsmail reported on Monday that the Hammers are in pole position to sign the Englishman if Arsenal don’t convince him to sign a new deal.
Nketiah’s salary is said to be around the £45,000-a-week mark, after he signed a five-year deal back in 2017.
Brighton and Newcastle are also keen while a top German side are also keeping an eye on his situation, according to The Mirror report.
Arsenal are set to lose Alexandre Lacazette this summer – with his deal expiring – and do not want to let two senior strikers leave the first-team squad for nothing.
West Ham are in pole position to sign him if Arsenal don’t convince him to sign a new deal
Arsenal are set to lose Alexandre Lacazette this summer – with his deal also expiring
Lyon are offering the Frenchman a route back to Ligue 1, while the Gunners have offered a one-year extension.
Should Arsenal keep Nketiah, they would only target one forward in the transfer window, with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Benfica’s Darwin Nunez all linked in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Nketiah is likely to start in Thursday’s crucial north London derby, with Tottenham four points behind their rivals as the race for a top-four finish comes down to the wire.
Advertisement
