It’s been confirmed that Eddie Nketiah will spend the upcoming season on loan with Leeds United.
The England under-21 international was reportedly wanted by a host of Championship clubs including Bristol City and Swansea City, as well as German side Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Speaking about the striker prior to the deal, Leeds boss Marco Bielsa said:”Nketiah is a young, important player in English football.
“He’s a player with a very good reputation with other football people. He can be an important player in English football according to others.”
Nketiah, who was recruited to the club’s Academy in 2015 when he was released by Chelsea, came to prominence in December 2017 when he grabbed a match-winning debut brace off the bench against Norwich City in the League Cup.
He was immediately rewarded with a new long-term deal and has made a further 18 appearances for the first team, scoring once in the Premier League on the final day of last season at Burnley.
While he netted in pre-season matches with Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, he’ll likely benefit from playing senior football on a regular basis. It looked like he might get that chance last January when Bundesliga outfit Augsburg made an approach but the deal was scuppered by Unai Emery at the last moment.
In his absence, Gabriel Martinelli and Tyreece John-Jules will likely get game time in the Europa League and League Cup as back-up to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Lacazette.
Good luck, Eddie. We’ll be following your progress.
All the best, Eddie. Go there, bang in at least 15 goals and come back to take your spot in our squad.
Bielsa will work his magic on this kid. Great signing for Leeds and for Eddie.
That’s the best part.
My two cents though was he should gone on loan last season, when we still had Welbeck. Now with Welbeck gone and almost Iwobi also, there was an opportunity for Nketiah.
Yeah, I’m a little worried we could be a tad light up top.
Pepe has played as CF on occasion. Hopefully Auba, Laca and Pepe will be adequate, but I think Emery wants a fluid front 2/3 (depending on formation) that can swap Centre/LW/RW during a game to confuse opposing defences.
Great move, will definitely be keeping an eye on Leeds this season
Good news for him. With any luck he will score a sack full of goals and come back stronger and even more skilful and confident.
In the meantime, we are a little light on out and out strikers, unless the powers that be think Martinelli is 100% ready as back-up to Auba/Lacazette?
Have to think this is the right move. I’m not sure I think he’s going to make it, but I certainly believe this gives him a better chance than a sub appearance every few weeks would. Good luck to him.
would be a bit concerned with the leeds manager comments “according to others” and “He’s a player with a very good reputation with other football people” hope i am wrong but it looks like this signing wasn’t his decision and if so it never works out, so rattle in goals early eddie
I thought the same but I guess he was deflecting until it was a done deal. That said, as spin goes, it was an excellent response.
Was a bit disappointed by seeing this news but the prospect of him playing regularly and in a super competitive league does make sense.
Good luck Eddie. You’ll come back an even more improved player ?
“…a very good reputation with other football people..an important player in English football sccording to others.”
Is he not entirely convinced?
Clearly didn’t spy on him enough ?
You’ve won the internet for today, sir.
Good luck to him. Let’s hope he returns with his prospects improved.
Hopefully Biesla gives him the chance and if he does, he’s learning from a great tactical coach.
leaves us thin up top behind Laca and Auba…wish we still had an experienced striker like Danny “Football” Welbeck on the bench. Good move for his development though.
Pleased for Eddie, he will learn allot from playing games & being under Biesla. However, I’m a bit worried that we are short up front, Lacazette is already nursing an injury.
It’s a big ask for Martinelli & John Jules to fill the third striker gap.
I wonder if signing Sturridge on a contract with a break clause after one year would be a good idea?
Superb move for the young lad. Will definitely be a big boost for him
Thought we might see a little more of our younger players in the first team this year, but clearly the need to return to CL football is overwhelming for management at the moment. Can’t fault them for using the transfer market very efficiently this summer (bummed about the sale of Iwobi, if true, but like Ox it represents good business), but do hope we can still pave the way for young players to succeed at Arsenal.
This is a poor decision. We just sent out on loan a striker who looked good and hungry in preseason. I would rather have sent Martinelli on loan, or at least keep them until January.
Keep the focus and dedication Eddie. YOU ARE THE FUTURE replacing in due course Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alex Lacazette.
Bit of a surprise this one, looked really good in pre-season and there was a big opportunity for him in the cups. And with Auba, Laca and Pepe all likely to start it leaves us, oddly, a little light at CF. Regardless wish him all the best and hope he comes back even stronger
One year there, come back and have a bedding in season at the Arse and then we can put him in the starting 11.
That is the hope anyway.
2-3 years away from a good mix of home grown players.