It’s a foregone conclusion that Eddie Nketiah will leave Arsenal in the current transfer window. With Marseille reported to be seriously interested in his services, it would appear to be a matter of time before a deal is offered that is acceptable to the Gunners. Roberto De Zerbi is clearly trying to make his mark […]
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It’s a foregone conclusion that Eddie Nketiah will leave Arsenal in the current transfer window.
With Marseille reported to be seriously interested in his services, it would appear to be a matter of time before a deal is offered that is acceptable to the Gunners.
Roberto De Zerbi is clearly trying to make his mark at the Ligue Un giants, and it’s his former club, Brighton and Hove Albion, that could play a part in helping to get the Nketiah deal over the line.
According to Football Transfers, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, have discussed the possibility of bringing the Seagulls’ 22-year-old Joao Pedro to the Emirates Stadium as Nketiah’s replacement.
The outlet suggest that Brighton would demand in the region of £50m for their player, given his age and potential projection over the coming years.
With the Gunners seemingly keen not to overpay for any player, they could baulk at such a price, given that Brighton signed him for just £28m/€34m (transfermarkt) from Watford a year ago.
He did manager to plunder 20 goals and three assists (WhoScored) during a remarkable 2023/24 campaign, however, and that could well tip the balance.
Even if he may not be considered as a first choice at Arsenal, it’s clear that Joao Pedro has the talent to be able to consistently put pressure on any players that may be in front of him.
Furthermore, Arsenal’s strength in depth is likely to be the deciding factor in whether they can overhaul Man City in the title race, and to that end, even if they have to stump up £50m, it might just turn out to be money well spent.
Ultimately, the size of the fee and the will of the player is likely to determine what happens next.
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