Arteta may not send Nketiah out on loan after all

We all know that Eddie Nketiah’s loan at Leeds wasn’t quite as successful as well hoped, as he spent most of his time on the bench as backup to Patrick Bamford, so it seemed obvious that he would be going out on loan again to a club that promised more game time.

But now that he has returned to Arsenal for talks, it seems that Eddie has impressed Arteta with his attitude and our new coach may decide to keep him at the Emirates for the rest of the season.

Arteta told Arsenal.com: “…I sat down with him and was very impressed with him. I think it was a great challenge for him to work in that environment in Leeds. I think he’s become a much better player, a much more competitive player.

“Then the decision to make now is whether it’s better to send him out for another five months to realise his potential and have him ready for next season, or keep him here. It’s something we have to discuss in the next few days.”

So, it is far from certain that Eddie will be on the move again, and it may be a very sensible decision to keep the 20 year-old as an option for our Europa League and FA Cup games coming up thick and fast over the next few months.

He may not get to play as often as he might on loan, but at least he will be being trained to Arteta’s methods.

What do you think? Should he stay or should he go?

Admin Pat