Eddie Nketiah is reportedly on West Ham’s radar as David Moyes looks to replace Sebastien Haller.
The Hammers spent a club-record £45 million recruiting the French striker from Eintracht Frankfurt 18 months ago but sold him this week at a big loss to Ajax. Having recouped £20 million, our London neighbours are on the hunt for someone who might actually score some goals.
The Evening Standard claims Nketiah, who has 18 months left on his current deal at Arsenal, is on the list alongside Bournemouth’s Joshua King and Reim’s Senegalese forward Boulaye Dia.
We imagine Mikel Arteta may not want to part ways with a player he went out of his way to keep at the club this time last year. That said, given the club’s financial struggles and our desire to recruit an attacking midfielder, it’s possible the boss and Edu may be tempted to cash in on Eddie. To date, the England under-21 international has scored 12 goals in 57 appearances for the Gunners.
Should we go down that route, we might then have a shot at breaking the stalemate in negotiations with Folarin Balogun, another young striker waiting in the wings at the Emirates. The Athletic have claimed the 19-year-old is on the verge of signing a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club this month.
Liverpool have been making these kind of sales and getting very sizeable fees. I think we should also sale, use the money to look for the much coveted attacking midfielder and use his departure as the carrot to entice Balogun to stay with the promise of more game time.
Just putting it out there… What if £25-30m came in for Willock?
We are in the market for an ACM and ESR is doing a great job. Is there still room for Joe and have his recent performances warranted Arteta’s faith?
Let’s be honest, some players do develop a little later but the genuinely special talents – Saka, Fab, Anelka – just burst straight out. And these are the players who are going to push us forward.
Has Joe done enough?
I dunno.
No, he hasn’t. He’s not good enough. That said, he’s been marginally better than Ceballos and streets ahead of Willian.
Then again, the old girl who works in The Arsenal Fish Bar is better than Willian….
I think Willock will have a decent career like Hayden is having at Newcastle and Hayden was better than Willock at the same age but I don’t think he’s a special talent and I don’t think he’ll go on an be world class but he can have a decent career at a mid to low table/championship club. He’s not great at anything. Passing dribbling positioning winning ball back is all average, carrying the ball is decent vision is not great. so yeah January or this summer I expect him to be moved on And Guendouzi to be Brought back but… Read more »
Not sure if you’re suggesting Willock as an ACM but I’d be inclined to try him alongside Partey before making any decisions. That’s a more natural fit than an advanced midfield role he’s played. Our only options are Xhaka and Eleny with Ceballos gone at seasons end. I’d say AMN is more likely to move on given limited game time.
Willock’s presence in the team is not quite dissimilar from Ramsey’s for me. Among other things, Ramsey’s departure has cost us quite a few precious goals this season (and the last). I think we should hold on to Willock for providing those runs into the box.
He’s 19 or something right? With the right coach and a few more years Willock could be incredible, so much potential given the level he’s already performing at today.
Eddie is the same but if we were going to sell one of them I think he’d be a decent choice -his game doesn’t seem to mesh as well with how arsenal play (or have ever played really)
Willock is 21, 22 in August. Still some time to develop for sure but no he’s not 19.
I’d say there IS still room for Willock. We don’t have an especially deep complement of midfielders…
Just because we have room doesn’t mean he’s good enough. Sell and move on.
I bet you our board will find a way to sell Nketiah for less than 10m, they are terrible at selling players. Im waiting to hear how much we got from Matt Macey sale. We are poor at selling players and we wait till their contract run down before we think of selling and even then its too late and we let them leave for free. there was a report that said arsenal have lost 150m worth of talent by letting them go for free in the last 5yrs or so. that is shocking. we just went out and borrowed… Read more »
Think about it though. The loan is extremely low interest and must be repaid by May. It allows us to pay salaries and not much else. Without a big financial hit we can buyout players without killing our cashflow. There is more at work here.
Have to agree with you here. A club with tight finances such as ours should be letting players like Ramsey and Welbeck leave for free.
Totally agree. Arsenal must make a decision and for me Balogun is the better talent by quite some distance.
Couldn’t make Bielsa’s first 11 in the championship because of his limitations in build up etc. Seems to have the same limitations at senior level for Arsenal too. But if you need a tap in goal he is your man. Never like to lose young academy players but he should have decent value and with Balogun having showed a little more versatility than a tap in specialist perhaps he is the young player to stick with.
have to agree with this. i like eddie and think he can carve out a decent career for himself but balogun looks to me like he has more potential and variety to his game. balogun + 15-20m quid for eddi would be an upgrade on the squad and money we could use to improve other areas.
Yeah. I’m with you on this.
Accept bids over £25m, put the dollar in the ACM pot and promote Balogun.
Simples.
Johnny, you’re an intelligent and witty person. You are actually one of my favourite posters here. Please don’t say “simples”.
So you’re telling me a tacky catchphrase from the turn of the last decade is no longer relevant?
Booyakasha. I don’t believe it! How very dare you?! Smeg head.
It’s just that it sounds about as intelligent as “my bad”. “Simples” reached its lowest point (as if such a thing was even possible) when uttered by Theresa May a couple of years ago when she was trying to defend something utterly dumb which content escapes me now. Since then there should be no way back for it. Yet it still appears.
It’s just that I expect better from you.
Smeg head on the other hand is a perfectly good combination of words in everyday use.
Haha! Noted. Thanks man!
My advertising company were actually responsible for the compare the meerkat ads, so it’s become an office joke with us.
But I shall refrain.
Not ‘my advertising company’. The one I whore myself out to…
The adversary company.
While we are on the subject can everyone stop saying 110% it only goes up to 100! 🙂
Simples is the portuguese for simple. Fine for me
Also I’d settle for 15m/20m… I’m really not sure he’s that good although I’ve rooted so hard for him.
I don’t know if he didn’t make it into Leed‘s starting 11 because of his limitations or rather because of Bamford, who is showing currently why Bielsa rated him pretty highly, even when he wasn’t scoring that regularly last season.
he was not going to replace Bamford with Eddie a loan player.
Do. It. He’s so much more Afobe than… a striker who made it from the academy here.
FFS.
If there was a League table for a club’s ‘supporters’ backing its crap players and turning against its decent players, then we’d fucking romp home with the title, year after year.
We truly are Arsenal Football Club in name only, these days.
Turning against? They’re talking £20m for a fringe player. You take that unless you know you’ve got a sure thing.
I think the problem is You called him Afobe in a disrespecting manner.
I didn’t mean it to be disrespectful, I always liked Afobe. My point was that it looks too me like Eddie is more likely to be elite at youth levels and not quite make the grade at the “top” of the premier league. Not everyone can. There really aren’t that many truly elite strikers, and Gabi is looking a lot more likely to be ours.
Nketiah has been a good poacher in front of goal but that has been pretty much it. He is so young that it’s easy to forget it has been more than 3 yrs he made is first team debut. Wish him all the best but given a choice, would be happiee to see us keep balogun
Indeed. I’m not sure either will make it, but Balogun appears to have a little higher floor.
The question seems to be: what are the chances of Balogun staying! If we can convince him to extend his contract if Eddie leaves (for a decent sum), it seems this is the perfect time to cash in. If Balogun is signing for a foreign club anyway, it becomes a bit trickier. I’d guess he’d still be available until the summer, but then we’d need to strengthen, and forwards are expensive.
It’s not quite to me. Eddie’s contract is running down, sell high while all he’s really done is scored often at youth level. He may make a top level career, but I certainly don’t expect him to be more than a bench striker for a top club. Could certainly be wrong, but we can’t turn down £20m in hopes of that happening.
Still have John jules out there.
Balogun is the new Robert Lewandowski.
Very interesting I’m a fan of Eddie but I think it’s a move he should make as he gets to stay in London although I think a team like Brighton who create more chances would suit him better . WestHam certainly should there are way more goals from little Eddie than Haller . Arsenal need to sell to reinvest and progress and Eddie is one of our most valuable assets that we can also survive without considering Martinelli, Auba are here long term and Balogun is pushing for a chance .
I like Eddie but looks too light weight for us but there’s time. Balogun however, looks something special when he gets minutes. If losing Eddie means Balogun signs up, I’d take that.
Bit sad he couldn’t establish as a 1st choice striker after Lacazette’s struggles, and I think he is still a valuable player in the squad, but with multitude of strikers it makes sense to sanction a deal at the right price.
Question is, what is the price
Balogun hasn’t signed and we’re still mid season.
What are we going to do if either Lacazette or Martinelli pick up long term injuries….?
Play PEA?
My post, Mastermind, was made on the assumption that ‘PEA’ was already in the side….
🙄
😂Yet, your post laments the lack of a striker in the team! It’s on you if in your imagination PEA is in a role that doesn’t make the best use of squad resources. Classic!
if Balogun goes we have other options and we can try to extend Laca. We have options
Sell ASAP. Rely on balogun and martinelli. Eddie will not get any better than he is now.
If we sell him for less than Brewster I’m gonna be f-ing furious.
Lol, Brewster. I feel sorry for him. Imagine moving to Shef during Covid, no wonder he’s not settled. (Love Sheffield btw, but for a young man away from home leaving Klopp for Wilder..)
We need to sell to raise money (not necessarily for just purchases, but to help build up funds to pay off the huge Covid-loan we’ve just taken out when repayment becomes due) so if selling him – and let’s face it he’s one of the few players who could be offloaded that we can get something for – then fine. He won’t be the last – and, I fear, some of the others may not be players that we want to sell.
I would keep him.
1. We haven’t yet committed Balogun to a new deal.
2. Even if we did, he might not be ready for the 1st XI.
3. What is the point of developing and investing time in youngsters who reach international standard, only then to flog them off to that fucking shower of shit in claret and blue.
International U23 standard, you mean. Plenty age group stars don’t reach the heights of the senior game. I have a lot of time for Eddie, but I wouldn’t pin my flag to his mast. If there is a buyer at a decent price, AFC should sell. Laca is doing a job, Martinelli’s better. Eddie probably isn’t it and we don’t need to hang on to him. Let him get games for another club. Next up. Let’s see if Balogun might sign and turn out to be any good. (People bigging him up because he once played with his back to… Read more »
Lol that is literally the moment I remember
Also we’ve now got Moller who sounds pretty good too
I’m inclined to agree. He’s a Hale End lad and committed and a decent poacher.
Keep him for now or extend for 3 years knowing Laca may go.
Eddie is goal scorer and will be better in a team that creates more. Simple. 1
If you sell him you’ve got to have Balogun signed up and we haven’t.
if both go we’ll spend needed money on a fringe striker….
Hard call but id say stay for now…..
Good buy for West Ham, good sell for the Gunners. Win for all.
But surely that’s dependent upon what we get for him, isn’t it? If we get, say, £10 million is that good business?
Id sell him for at least £15m for it to be a good business. Seems unlikely to get more than 25m from him.
I kind of feel that’s realistically what he’s worth in Covid given his return so far
Makes perfect sense for us to facilitate this if possible. Balogun is clearly more talented. But what does “keeping tabs on” really mean?
Package him with Xhaka, please.
£20 million would be good business especially if we can get Balogun to sign a new contract. Auba, Laca, and Balogun as #9 options is sufficient. Dare I say it, even Pepe could probably do a job at #9 better than he does on the wing.
That being said I suspect West Ham would much prefer Josh King – an experienced, proven Premier League goalscorer.
Yes, that would be good business but it’s a depressed market for obvious reasons and we really do need to raise money (and cut our bloated squad as well) so we may have to take less than that to offload him. Hopefully not, but we’ll see.
You can always rely on a slightly gullible lower mid table club to buy your slightly not good enough young players for a significant fee
Good old West Ham
They did like to take Wenger’s expired squad players off our hands over the years; Wilshire, Perez, Jenkinson, Chamakh, Lansbury, Almunia, Ljungberg, Aliadiere, Shaaban, Noble, Suker, Winterburn, Riza, Wright, Hartson. That’s 15 players in 22 years!
Going back a bit further; Robson and Radford. And a Dr. James Marshall in the 1934/35 season for £5,000. There’s really not enough doctors playing for Arsenal in their spare time these days.
They prefer golf
Strange place to keep your cigarettes…
Eddie is a solid young player and I think he can be a regular 10-goal scorer in the Prem. That’s nothing to scoff at and a feather in the cap of our academy. This is the perfect opportunity for Arteta/Edu to display their commitment to squad-building. Balogun may be a mirage, but we need to find out what we’ve got and entice him to sign. We’ve seen what Nketiah has, and he has earned the right to be playing at a midtable club. But he is not getting Arsenal closer to their aspirations. This is exactly when you sell him.
Sell Eddie if it means we have a good chance of keeping Balogun.
From what Ive seen Balogun is a natural replacement for Laca who we should also be selling come July.
20 for Eddie
15/20 for Laca
Replacement for 30odd
Keep Balogun.
Profit
oh please,Balogun looks to have a much higher ceiling, grafts more and does more than poach at youth level like Eddie.Sell Eddie Jeffers for whatever we can get , even the above mentioned 10m,Balogan chomping at the bit.
You don’t profit from this set of fees – don’t forget the agents.
£25 million of your best British pounds please WHU. Not an indictment of Eddie by any stretch but it is clear his future is not at the Arsenal.
Some very low expectations here! We’ve got a young but experienced premier League home grown striker, who’s just become the English u21 goals record holder. If the negotiators can push on the whole ‘how can he be scoring in the current Arsenal team?’ and ‘quality but doesn’t fit Arsenal’s very specific style of play’ we should be looking for good money for him. I’m thinking well over £25m.
Also expecting this will secure it with Balogun. No one wants to be 4th choice in a single striker set up.
Poo rating plse
Sell wisely
Eddie could be the type of forward we need in the future. We have 3 of the best young players in the league in Saka, Martinelli and Smith Rowe, all of whom can dribble or score from outside the box but would also link up with EN who is always in space around the box As well Eddie is one of the hardest workers on the team. Reminds me of Ian Wright who was carrying bricks when he was his age but improved out of recognition when he got a little older. He also loves the club which cannot be… Read more »
Agreed, people are writing Eddie off too soon imo. Even Auba has struggled this season with the lack of creativity from midfield/wings. I think Eddie could become a fine finisher in the years to come with saka, martinelli, esr and not-xhaka/elneny behind him. I would keep him
It’s a bit if a conundrum. Our home grown players are probably easiest to shift but they’ll likely have to be replaced with home grown players lest we lurk again towards having too many foreign players. And these players would likely need to be replaced with our own youngsters to make these sales worthwhile. The replacements for Eddie and the like would need to be of sufficient quality so as not to impact our depth. No great revelation but we need to shift the deadwood like Xhaka and Elneny so that selling some of these youngsters is both profitable and… Read more »
Anything less than 20 million is a waste of time. May not be the most prolific dude, but has shown he can score at the top level. If that bloke from Liverpool who warmed the bench (if even that) costs 20 million, surely Eddie is more valuable.
Anything like £20m and I would accept for Eddie in the hope of keeping Balogun.