Eddie Nketiah vows to stay at Arsenal and fight for his first-team place under Emery

ARSENAL boss Unai Emery will have an ambitious Eddie Nketiah out for more game time in 2019/20.

The England youth striker has committed to staying in North London and fighting for his place in the first-team.

PA:Press Association

With cash for transfers short at Emirates Stadium after the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Emery will have to be wise with his spending.

Given the Gunners’ desperate need for defensive reinforcements, a spot in the attack could open up for a young player.

And Nketiah wants to be in place to grab that opportunity, telling PA: “My ideal scenario is to be playing here, I want to play here next season but we have got to see how that goes.

“I am confident enough in my ability that I am good enough to play here so I have just got to work hard and show the manager that I can.

“My aim is to play for Arsenal, that is my goal and has been my aim since I was a kid.

“It is great to have two of the best strikers in the world around you and learn from them every day. I’m just progressing, trying to catch them and make the gap smaller and smaller.”

Young players at top-six clubs are continually relying on being loaned out to lower-tier or European clubs.

And, for Nketiah, Reiss Nelson’s success at Hoffenheim has showed the high standard of Arsenal’s academy stars.

He continued: “I think it is really important, over the years it is what Arsenal have prided themselves on, having great youngsters coming through the academy.

“I think the bunch we have right now, me, Joe Willock, Reiss and the other boys, we are good players for our age and we just have to keep pushing and why not?

“I think the fans would love to see a lot of the young boys in the team week in, week out so come the start of the season, we will all be pushing to get in the team regularly.”

Occasional outings in the Europa League and domestic cups were all Nketiah could salvage for most of the 2018/19 campaign – despite scoring a brace on his senior debut almost three years ago.

But a final day appearance against Burnley saw him notch a maiden Premier League goal, a landmark moment he put down to hard work.

“I was 18 when I scored those two goals and it was great, at that young age not many people get that opportunity or take that opportunity,” Nketiah noted.

“I wouldn’t change anything, I have tried my hardest, worked hard and with the chances I have had I have done well.

“Of course I would liked to have played more but that is something that is out of my hands, it has been both managers’ decisions.

“But I have progressed well as a player and I can look back with pride, push on and make sure the coming season is a good one for me.”