Should Arsenal make Nketiah part of their future plans?
One of the players that stood out in the midweek win against League One side Wimbledon was Eddie Nketiah.
The young Englishman impressed in an easy 3-0 win in the third round of Carabao Cup. His flick that bamboozled the opposition goalkeeper was naturally a standout moment in the game.
Some supporters loved the goal so much that they demanded the club to hand him a contract extension.
This is yet another case of hanging onto players, who have little to no future at the club.
If you look at the broader perspective, majority of Arsenal faithful would agree that Folarin Balogun is a more talented and rounded player than the England U21 international. Despite the fact that he has not impressed with his performances this season.
Fans need to understand one thing: Clubs can only get the “true value” of a player when they are performing well. No club in the world would want to spend huge bucks on underperforming players.
That’s why I think Joe Willock was rightly sold, even though a lot of fans argued that Arsenal should not have let him go.
The only right time to sell a player is when they are performing well. And the club is bound to get some criticism for it.
Although the Gunners will not be able to raise significant money from the sale of Nketiah, moving him on in the summer, or more ideally in the winter transfer window seems rational.
I would love if the club reached an agreement with the player’s camp of extending the Englishman’s contract for just a season.
That would be a win-win situation for both the parties. Arsenal would raise at least some money from the sale. While Nketiah can be assured that his current club won’t have the power to price him out of a move.
The Hale End graduate has been given several chances to impress at the Emirates Stadium but has struggled to have a major influence.
And maybe that’s why he should be Arsenal’s present, but not their future.
Yash Bisht