The Balogun-Nketiah conundrum at Arsenal by Yash
Eddie Nketiah will only have a year left on his contract at Arsenal in the summer. It is a brilliant opportunity to move him on and generate some cash.
That cash, along with the sales of others, can help Arsenal in revamping their squad to a great extent.
But Arsenal see themselves in a precarious situation. They would have to let the young striker go on a nominal fee due to his contractual situation.
Loaning him out like the Gunners did for Ainsley Maitland Niles and Joe Willock would have protected his true value to some extent.
But now, not even making the bench for the North London outfit is the worst place the 21-year-old could have been. It is also worth noting that Arsenal are on the verge of giving Folarin Balogun a new four-year contract, which could be the final nail on Nketiah’s Arsenal coffin.
Giving their young hero a contract extension only means one thing. The 19-year-old has at future. And maybe he has a future at the expense of Nketiah’s Arsenal career. Who knows?
Both have a same agent, and Balogun’s agent would not have agreed to a new deal, if it didn’t involve Balogun in the club’s near future plans.
Taking the conversation to technical terms on the pitch, Balogun is no doubt a more complete center-forward than Nketiah. The England U21 international is the old-school goal poacher. While the 19-year-old Balogun have a number of tricks up his sleeve. Be it holding the ball or being clinical in front of the goal. He even has great pace and links up the play well.
It looks like Arsenal see a better player in Balogun. And they might well be right on that notion.
Only time will tell whether choosing Balogun over Nketiah will be a good decision. But many believe Arsenal will get it right, if they choose the academy player for their future project.
What do you think Arsenal will do?
Yash Bisht
Don’t sell Balogun have we not learnt over the past, letting young guns go and then regret it
Should Balogun sign for 4 years, he is contracted and needs to be fully developed, either with an appropriate loan or preferably game time at Arsenal.
Given that Nheketia is a different type of striker to Balogun, how much would it cost Arsenal to extend his contract too. Both can then be developed to either make a contribution on match day or to increase in value to sell on.
If Arsenal can’t use Nketiah as LW, they better sell him because he struggled in CF position. Give Balogun a short contract and sell him if he doesn’t cut it next season
In my opinion, both of them are similar to Afobe/ Akpom and we should’ve looked for a taller CF. I predict Moller would get his chance in 2022, if Balogun doesn’t meet the expectation
Sell Nketiah for £15m + add ons. This shouldn’t be impossible, since Brewster and Solanke with virtually zero PL experience, got sold for much more.
Or give him an extension and loan him out for experience.
Time for Eddie to move on.
Integrate Balogun via cup competitions (draw dependant), coupled with more minutes in league games where appropriate.
A loan remains an option, but we are not privy to ongoing contract negotiations in terms of what the club see’s as best for the boy’s development, against his own aspirations (bearing in mind he is only 19, but will be looking at how Saka & ESR have made their mark when they got their chance).
I think Nketiah has been given his own share of chances to come good. I remember him and Lacazete even alternated in that SF position. He had not taken his chance and balogun deserves his chance too. If we can renew Nketiah contract and loan him to see how good he comes but I doubt if he is Arsenal standard.
Gotanidea, I don’t know what you mean when you say balogun is not talk for a center forward when he’s obviously taller than lacazett, he has all the qualities, dribbles, hold up play, reflex, passes eye for goal unlike Eddie, balogun even tops his with speed, what do you need when we are rebuilding our team let him go like Gnabry and the likes? He is in the team next season if MA remain our coach and watch out arsenal next season. Am a fourth generation arsenal supporter and the trend continues I my family.we Know what we want.
I suspect Crystal Palace or Brighton would be interested in Nketiah particularly the former who are seeking to reduce the average age of their squad which I believe is the oldest in the League.
I would sell Edie it just isn’t working for him here. He has not been scoring or even a threat when he plays, and he’s had opportunities to show something, anything.
Balogun offers so much more than poaching, which is all Nketiah has ever shown.
We need the money, and anything £15 million or over we should take; that’s a decent backup LB.
Nketiah still looks like a kid both physically and mentally. These kind of youngsters get eaten alive in epl. Maybe he is late bloomer so a new contract and he can be loaned to a lower epl team or championship team.
A small cost to secure ourselves in case he develops into a good player.
I believe Arteta is giving Nketiah more time on the pitch in order to boost his transfer value.
Nketiah’s been given his fair share of chances and not near Arsenal level.
In the current climate would be happy to see £10-15 million from his sale. We need the funds to buy players who improve the team / match day squad.
Since Eddie may leave then Offer him to someone like Brighton to use as bait to get Bissouma. Put a 1st refusal on his contract or % of future sales as he is only 21, Capt of Engalnd U21s while having a record of most goals too. He has an Ian Wright feel about him OR give him an extension and loan for full season and see where we are?
Bologuns new deal means he is going to be the next breakout star in this team and Eddie had that spot, didnt take his chance now he needs to go and learn abit more somewhere else for full game time just Like AMN is doing and WBA.
Again Niles and Willock have not been bad on their respective loan deals at all as has Saliba, Dino & Matteo who have been pretty damn good away.
If we are to rebuild then we need to get rid of the older players like Luiz, Willian & Elneny to make room for these guys and give them a chance to play.
I’d keep Xhaka no doubt about it. Captain material, leader and actually can play many roles in a back 3, LB, across the midfield & attacking.
Who do you sell Auba or Laca?
Laca fits the system better but needs a new deal but is 29. Auba, 31, got a mega deal then for whatever reasons has went off the boil completely this season & doesnt look interested.
Cant keep both will halt Bolugun, Martinelli & even Pepe who has been better than Auba.
Alot of major decisions from the club and we have alot of youngsters in Lopez, Azeez & Moller who could all be apart of the set up this summer.