Arsenal finally looks set to sell Eddie Nketiah ahead of the summer transfer deadline on Friday. The center-forward had previously been linked with Marseille and Nottingham Forest in recent weeks. However, the French side could not agree on a final fee with the Gunners. Forest, on the other hand, failed to entice Nketiah to join the club with a suitable contract.
Nevertheless, Crystal Palace has now jumped in and quickly agreed a deal with Arsenal. The Eagles will pay their English counterparts $33 million for Nketiah. If the deal ends up working out well, Palace will then have to pay Arsenal an extra $6.6 million in add-ons. The forward is set to undergo an official medical with his potential new team.
Once regarded highly at the club, Nketiah has since fallen down the pecking order with the Gunners in recent years. The center-forward has only managed to start 10 of Arsenal’s last 48 Premier League matches. He has even been overlooked in each of the team’s first two games of the current campaign.
Assuming the deal between Arsenal and Palace is finalized, the Gunners should have money to spend on a replacement. Including the Nketiah deal, the North London side has recorded a net spending of about $42 million this summer. This figure includes the recent $35 million signing of dynamic midfielder Mikel Merino.
While $42 million is not exactly pocket change, it is a fraction of what other big English clubs have spent so far. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur all currently have a net spend of well over $100 million this summer. The former two teams are also not done spending just yet. Liverpool and Manchester City, on the other hand, have resisted splashing the cash so far.
Not only is Arsenal’s net spend fairly low now, but the sales of Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe represent pure profits. This is due to the duo both being Arsenal academy graduates. Because of this, their entire transfer fees, collectively around $74 million, can go against profit and sustainability rules. Meanwhile, transfer fees on incoming players can be spread out to five years.
Arsenal brass could make a major splash by signing a world-class center-forward to replace Nketiah. Nevertheless, manager Mikel Arteta loves Kai Havertz in the role. The Gunners also have Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard in the position as well. Jesus is currently injured and regularly misses game time though. Trossard, on the other hand, is better suited out wide on the left flank.
With this in mind, Arsenal will more likely target a versatile forward who can play both wide and through the middle. Bukayo Saka is the undeniable superstar in the team at the moment. However, the winger does not have much competition at the right winger position. The Gunners would be wise to sign a player who can fill in for Saka at times and also deputize Havertz.
In bringing in Nketiah, Palace will now likely have to make another move as well. The Englishman did not switch from North London to South London to sit on the bench. The Eagles already have Jean-Philippe Mateta and Odsonne Édouard in the position. With Mateta recently flourishing under manager Oliver Glasner, Édouard may likely be soon on his way out of the club.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
