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Would Arsenal fans be okay with Nketiah going to West Ham?

There have been thousands of Arsenal transfer rumours but very few involving our strikers. We have Aubameyang, who despite getting on in years has a new lucrative contract, and we can only hope that he has got over his family problems and his flirt with malaria, and can revert to his incredible record of scoring goals next season after a disappointing last campaign.

Alexandre Lacazette has only 18 months left on his contract and has had no rumours about any extension or of other clubs threatening to take him off our hands.

But with Gabriel Martinelli’s ability to play as central striker, and with Falorin Balogun being promoted to the Arsenal first team, it would appear that Eddie Nketiah is sill going to be struggling for a place in Arteta’s starting line-up.

So what is next for the youngster, who has refused to extend his deal at Arsenal (which is hardly a surprise, given the competition) and it is obvious he needs to find a new club.

Well according to Fabrizio Romano’s podcast, Nketiah is being chased by Borussia Dortmund and our local rivals West Ham, as has been reported previously in the media.

So what would Arsenal fans think about Nketiah joining West Ham? Us Gooners used to have high hopes about Nketiah replacing Aubameyang’s goals, but could he possibly become the poacher we wanted if he is given a run of games at the London Stadium?

Should we be worried or have we given up on him becoming a superstar?

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48 Comments

  1. I’ll be ok for him . He got lots of chances and didn’t grab them. Maybe it’s not meant to be at arsenal

    1. Loads of chances? He didn’t even get a game when he was loaned out to Leeds despite scoring when he was played and also scoring for England U21s.

      I accept that perhaps his style isn’t quite what Arsenal needs, but please don’t tell me he’s had multiple chances because he hasn’t.

      In the right team he will give a good return in goals.

      1. He had plenty of chances over the last season and a half. Was dropped as backup no.2 after Christmas after looking ineffective every time he was on the pitch.

        If he had something to offer, we’d have seen it by now.

        1. Correct in my opinion and if he didn’t get picked enough at Leeds then Bielsa didn’t think he was good enough for Leeds
          It’s a tough world when the best seemingly rule the world and those who are a level below do ok but not quite enough

      2. Nketiah had 400+ minutes during the entire season at Arsenal compared to Willock’s 900+ minutes in his brief loan spell at NUFC. Nketiah never had a fair chance at Arsenal until now.

        If the club doesn’t have an option to trigger an extension in his current contract, I’d tell Nketiah to stay put at Arsenal for one more season and work as hard as he can on his game and walk out as a free agent at the end of the season.

        1. You sound like his agent
          I’d never want an Arsenal player to leave on a free unless they had been at the core of our club

      3. SM. Hardly surprising that he didn’t get preference over Patrick Bamford at Leeds and had enough chances with Arsenal last season. He’s a reasonable goal scorer but let down by his technical ability on the ball and is not good enough for the Premier League but if West Ham want him then the best of luck to them both.

  2. If we get good value for him sure, sell him to West Ham. At this point we can’t really afford to be choosy and I’ll wish him well wherever he goes. Personally, I’d like to see Balogun get some chances. Time will tell of course, but he just looks more predatory to me than the scrappy Nketiah.

  3. Sell him to Leverkusen

    Clearly it’s not about money at Arsenal, the option to buy mavropanos for Stuttgart is less than 5 million after his next loan spell next season !!( Bonkers , why we are pursuing white when he have a player many European clubs want and has been successful on loan )

    Hopefully the club may include a buyback on nketiah and a sell on percentage .

    Nketiah is a good player. He just needs game time and at a team who can afford him the time to develop. Somehow we haven’t been able to and it is sad.

    1. @A, so who else is interested in Mavro as I’ve not seen any rumours? He only played half a season at Stuttgart due to injuries.

  5. I haven’t even read the article but yeah. He can leave. He’s had his chance. Not good enough for us.Wish him well. Now its Martinelli and Balogun’s chance.

  6. No problem. I just think the CF role isn’t suited to him and he’d likely end up like Afobe/ Akpom if he wants to play in the CF position like Walcott

    I believe he’ll be more dangerous and more useful if he plays on the left wing, because of his work rate, stature and skills. It’s more difficult to thrive in the CF position and even Aubameyang is much worse than Lacazette there

    1. I was saying the same GAI, unfortunately, he had one left wing game in EL, against Rapid V. He was not good. But I saw him in left wing couple of seasons ago in preseason, I thought he was really great.
      He needs a good coach to develop him and a club that would give him time.

  9. I would have thought Brighton would have been interested in the young striker in view of their lack of a marksman last season.Could he or AMN be used in the negotiations for Bissouma and White, if indeed any formal discussions are taking place?

    1. Grandad, hard to understand Brighton, as there are not many young forwards with his credentials about. Nheketia may thrive at the right club and under the right manager. Brighton and Potter seemed a good fit.

  10. He can go to spurs for all i care because personally i don’t see him making it as a footballer

  11. Quite simply he has had ample opportunities and not taken them.

    I would liken him to Francis Jeffers in playing style. He never made it at Arsenal.

    Quite happy for him to leave and go to West Ham or any club to pursue his career. Will wish him luck.

  12. He is quick, fox in the box style, agressive, poacher but he lacks physicality and experience. He does not suit Arsenal in CF.

    Since, he refused to renew, I wish him luck for the highest bidder, unless the difference is really neligble then a foreign club is better.

  13. It is plain that Nketiah is not in MA s plans for this season. He will know this by now, as all thinking Gooners also will, though clearly SOME do not know yet!

    I care not where he goes; only that he DOES go and we get as much dosh as possible for his transfer and not a loan.

  14. We all had high hopes for Nketiah, but he hasn’t taken his chances, a staek contrast to Smith Rowe and Saka that took the bull by the horns in a very short time. I would be okay if we sell him to West Ham, sooner rather than later. I would also be happy for him if he goes somewhere else and blows up. No malice, he’s just not Arsenal material.

  16. I would be very pleased. Nketiah has had a few chances, to show he could be a first team regular, but hasn’t taken them. He isn’t a natural goalscorer like Flo Balogun, and he needs service to be effective. The link to West Ham is of long standing, and he ought to be worth £20m to the transfer coffers.

  17. I wouldn’t be okay if Nketiah leaves Arsenal this summer to join another club side. Irrespective if it’s West Ham or another club is not the issue.

    For, I think it’s would have better for if Nketiah remain at Arsenal and have his deal there extended for him to continue with his development at the club. So as to improved on the quality delivery of his game to a higher level for Arsenal.

    Which is what the club and ua Gooners want to see him attain. But not that he’s hated or despised by us the Arsenal fans. For, what us want to see him play for Arsenal at all times in matches is to be regularly playing very well and scoring goals for the club in their numbers. And also assist to get goals scored for the Gunners.

    But unfortunately, this had didn’t come from him in the numbers they should for Arsenal to the required high level that they want. But had come very low on rare occasions.

    One other thing us don’t know that could have led to Nketiah taking the decision he took to decline the club’s offer to give him a renewal, is us don’t know the kind of talks that transpired between Arteta, Edu and himself. Which could have led Nketiah opted not to renew. And both parties might have accepted his decision as the preferred option under the prevailing situation that is prevalent in the matter.

    The best to Nketiah as he’s making a bold attempt this summer to pastures new afresh elsewhere forging on in his football playing career.

  18. Nketiah would do better in a team that plays with a 4-4-2 formation. Not many, if any, do that in the PL, but a number do in the Championship. I don’t think he is good enough, at least not, yet to be pushing for a place in the Arsenal first team. If an offer comes I would let him go, even to WHU.

  19. Sell him to whoever pays the most money. Who cares if that is West Ham? This Arsenal obsession with fear of selling to rivals is illogical and indicative of our decline to second rate status. Chelsea, who have no chip on their shoulder, do not hesitate to sell to a rival if it makes economic sensr

    1. More importantly, we should stop buying our rivals cast-offs, just because they were once very good, and are available on a free. No more Willians please.

  21. He should be given more pl;aying time and should stay, there again the wrong policy getting rid of all our good young players and buying expensive older, who have mostly failed again and again.

    1. Arsenal are tying down all their good young players to long term contracts; Nketiah isn’t one of them. He may be going but not good enough to play for Arsenal. Apart from Saka (arguably), Eddie has had more opportunities to prove himself in the first team than all the other youngsters combined, and he simply hasn’t taken his chance. In fact, all the other young players with much less playing time have proved to be exponentially better than him. I’m of the opinion that he should go as he clearly doesn’t fit into the Arsenal system. I would still have no regrets if he leaves for West Ham and blows up, because that would never have happened at Arsenal.

  23. Nketiah can go, Balogun and Martinelli miles above him.

    Disappointing from the lad; never learned to dribble or create his own chances.

    At this level you can’t be a one trick pony and expect to stick and thrive. You have to develop all the tools of a striker.

    Edie is a poacher; can’t dribble opponents, can’t create, can’t be a target man. Couldn’t cut it at Arsenal, couldn’t cut it on loan at Leeds utd.

    Wise man would cut bait and take a profit on the player.

    2. Can auba dribble? When their so called captain can’t even hold the ball for 10seconds, create chances himself, hw then do you expect them to dribble or create chances. Get Auba and bellerin out of Arsenal! Kolasinac shouldn’t even come back. And for nketiah he’s done his bit and it is time he left the club.

  24. For me the first players I like in Arsenal Squads are as follows:
    1. Pepe
    2. Eddie
    3. Tierney
    4. Gabriel
    5. Gabriel
    6. Saka
    7. Smith Row

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