Will Arsenal let Eddie Nketiah be another Serge Gnabry?

Is Eddie Nketiah another Serge? by Ned Tate

What does the future hold for Eddie Nketiah? Currently the 20-year-old English footballer is on loan from Arsenal to Leeds United.

Since the transfer Eddie has taken full advantage of this opportunity getting regular playing time against good competition. He has already scored twice in his 7 Leeds appearances. Also, as a regular for the England Under 21s Nketiah has found the back of the net numerous times including one against the Slovenia U21s just yesterday. And, if you remember this young striker saved Arsenal’s bacon in a Carabao Cup match in 2017 with two late scores.

So, with Arsenal’s current depth at the forward and striker positions…what will Arsenal do about Eddie and his future?

Here’s the scary thing. Will Eddie become another Serge Gnabry? Gnabry was with Arsenal from 2012 to 2015. Wenger played him only 10 times with the first team. After that he was was loaned by Arsenal to West Brom and Werder Bremen, signed by Bayern Munich and then loaned to 1899 Hoffenheim before returning to Munich last season to become Bayern’s 2018-2019 MVP. Also, don’t forget he scored 4 goals just 11 days ago vs. Tottenham in the Champions League! Wouldn’t Serge look good still playing in the Emirates?

Is it fair to make a comparison between Eddie and Serge? Who’s to say what steps Eddie will take to get him to that level. Will he continue to be loaned out, then traded and become an international star like Serge? Is the Arsenal front office willing to let another diamond in the rough go again? What’s the plan for Eddie?

Let’s hope when Eddie hits the big time he’s still in an Arsenal shirt!

Cheers. Gunner 1953

This is a guest post from a new Arsenal Blogger in the USA. If you like his writing, pop over to YankeeGooner.net and have a look at his other pòsts…

17 Comments

  1. Nketiah is talented, but I don’t think he would be as successful as Gnabry if he leaves Arsenal

    It’s because the competition level in the striker position is extremely high. Our other ex-academy strikers such as Benik Afobe and Chuba Akpom don’t have great career as well

    I believe there are more demands for lethal wingers than the supply, hence the price of this attacker type is a bit obscene. Such as Hazard’s, Ronaldo’s, Salah’s, Mane’s, Pulsilic’s, Pepe’s, Zaha’s, Vinicius Jr’s, etc

    1. “Nketiah is talented, but I don’t think he would be as successful as Gnabry if he leaves Arsenal”

      Again with this same old crap.
      You really saw Chuba Akpom as a deadly striker?
      While I constant call for some of our youngsters to get playtime, I never for once called for Chuba Akpom, because the boy was a bang average player. We took delight in overhyping our kids, so we did with Akpom.
      Benik Afobe simply couldn’t cut it at Arsenal at a young age, he was sold. Did well aat Bournemouth that’s all.
      Eddie Nketiah at his age is already twice better than those two players were at their age

      1. Akpom was talented as well, but he didn’t get a lot of opportunities in EPL and didn’t impress when he came as a sub

        Nketiah would face similar problem, because there are Aubameyang, Lacazette and Martinelli vying for the striker position

        Only time can tell whether Nketiah is twice better than Akpom/ Afobe or not

        1. We have always encountered problems like these.do we keep. Do we release?
          I remember when we had wrighty and at the same time we had andy cole who we put out on loan to bristol a d then fulham. Watch him a few times at fulham but never thought he was going to be as good as wrighty..so many managers over time have kept of let the wrong player go

  2. He hasn’t started a game yet for a Leeds which is a bit puzzling but he is definitely a star in the making and I think either Lacazette or Aubamayang may be sacrificed after this season has finished as both will have good sell on values even though they are getting older. If Eddie improves like he has, he will be a ready made replacement on reasonable wages. There will be a few variables to look at as if we don’t make top four and/or win a trophy then Emery could no on his way and of course the form of Pepé later in the season could have an effect. I think the biggest threat to Eddie making it at Arsenal could in fact turn out to be Martinelli if he carries on the way he is playing.

  3. When Gnabry was at AFC, the he was carried a bit of weight, didn’t have much of an engine and seemed to not want to be here. Yeah, he showed glimpses of raw talent when given his chances. But never put in a good shift. Seems he always had his heart set on playing in Germany, Bayern to be exact. Granted his spell at West Brom wasn’t kind to him.

  4. Even the fans slated Gnabry then. For Nketiah, he might be patient for another 3 years until Auba and Lacca begin to fade.
    Having Nketia, Saka and Martinelli in 2 years time won’t be bad. There’s one Balogun down there too. At the front, the future is so enticing for us.

  5. I don’t think he has the so called competition. The only natural forwards we have are lucazette(28) and Auba (30) . Auba has two more seasons in him and Luca 4 with an additional one to whoever can hold the depth longer. Martinelli, saka, Nelson are all left wingers thought Martinelli can play anywhere across the three front positions. So apart from those two, our only striker is Eddie. In at most two seasons time if not next season, am very sure that we will be selling one of the two mentioned and probably Lucazette so as to play Auba centrally with Martinelli/saka/pepe ( 2of either) as wingers. In this case, Eddie will be our second choice striker. Nelson should go on a season long loan. He is nowhere near Saka and Martinelli

  6. I see him leave soon just as Willock, Nelson who should be pursuing his great Loan at offenheim.

    Because we cant provide them with sufficient or enough EPL football; litte chance they get opportunity, they show tremendous talent everywhere can clearly see.

    Nketia wont play next year, nor Martinelli as we have Auba Laca which is not unfare, just as Willock but unfare to have Xhaka, Ceballos, Gendouzi or Torreira ahead of him… We will lose Chambers real fast, same way which is simply retarded.

    Young players must be sent or left on Loan in clubs we sign them from, as Saliba today. We lost Serge, but same thinks goes for Adelaide or Benacer who should have been loaned where they can progress with pro football every week.

    Nketiah loan may not be right but im confident, has a good coach who seems careful to takes time with him before to fully unleash him.

    When Wenger saw a youngster doing better than another player, he kept him in the team;Bellerin to only name one…

  7. Saka and all these youngsters should be on smart 2 years loans as they wont play enough.

    I can see Dortmund come after him or Nelson, Willock, Nketiah; Ajax would too as I see Bayern, Juve, Real snatch Willock, Gardiola or Kloop, MU wouldndt mind as well…

    It is clear that Nelson Loan for 5 months was very good for him and shoould have gone on this year to see him devellop further.

    We have a lunatic as coach, he should have loaned not bench these young players all year long. Some will ask loans by winter window.

    Our team is better with more so called young players in it:

    Leno
    Bellerin Holding Mav Tierny
    Chambers
    Niles Willock
    Ozil

    Auba Laca

    Nelson for Laca, Martinelli for Auba.

    This our best team and we can also play just young players and be better than what de seen so far and will all year. Nelson Martinelli Saka instead of Oz, Auba, Laca.

  8. I hope we don’t lose Nketiah, I think he’ll develop in to a great striker.

    Not sure if Auba will stay next season if we don’t qualify for CL. He’ll be 31 and will want to play in the CL again before he retires. Laca should be our first choice central striker after that with Nketiah as backup. I think Martinelli will stay on the wing.

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