Newcastle United could well be closing in on a move to sign Eddie Nketiah this month, leaving Arsenal’s squad numbers thinning by the week.
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah.
The 22-year-old has hardly seen action in an Arsenal jersey this season and it’s crystal clear to everyone that his future lies somewhere other than the red half of London.
Despite just being a squad player, the Gunners have tried to extend the Englishman’s contract. However, those approaches were swiftly rejected by Nketiah who is determined to leave the Emirates Stadium in search of regular playing opportunities.
It seems like Eddie Howe has promised the England U21 international minutes on the pitch and a deal might be closer to completion. If the 22 year-old does depart, he will be the fifth departure in the current transfer window with others being Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sead Kolasinac, Pablo Mari and more recently Calum Chambers.
At the time when Arsenal are seriously pushing for a top four spot in the Premier League, it kind of seems irrational to make the squad thinner.
Although the Gunners will greet players back from the AFCON, they will still lack squad depth.
Not just Nketiah but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also received official approaches from heavyweights Juventus and Barcelona.
Letting both of them leave will certainly mean a late bid from the club for a centre forward. After failing to convince Dusan Vlahovic, sights will likely be shifted to Jonathan David, Alexander Isak and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Considering this is Arsenal, we might not end up signing anyone. And you can only wonder how that will affect our campaign.