23 June 2023 , 20:14
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Eddie Nketiah is said to be concerned about his Arsenal future - with Kai Havertz on the verge of completing a transfer from Chelsea.
Arsenal have agreed a £65million transfer fee with the Blues for Havertz, who will complete a medical this weekend before signing a long-term deal. The Germany international, 24, will challenge Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus for Arsenal's centre-forward spot.
Nketiah, also 24, signed a new long-term deal with the Gunners a year ago but has struggled to get the better of Jesus and January signing Leandro Trossard in the pecking order. The arrival of Havertz will hamper his starting chances even further.
Nketiah won't be short of admirers if he decides to leave the Emirates this summer. Arsenal's Premier League rivals West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham are all thought to be interested in the striker, who scored 16 goals in 17 U21 caps for England.
A source has told The Sun that Mikel Arteta "rates Eddie very highly" and doesn't want to sell him this summer. It's believed the Arsenal boss wants "three top strikers" ahead of his team's first Champions League campaign in seven years.
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Yet it's claimed Nketiah wants to play more often. The source added: "Eddie’s at a key stage in his career. He feels he’s now proved he can score goals at the highest level and the next step is to be playing week in week out.
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"But the fact the club has decided to invest so heavily in another striker has left Eddie wondering if he really has a future at the club."
The source also claimed Nketiah "believes" he can become a 20-goal per season striker in the Premier League. Nketiah boasts a modest record of 14 goals in 89 Premier League games, but many of those appearances have come from the bench.
The Arsenal man's record at youth level suggests he is capable of becoming a superstar, but he wasted a great opportunity to impress when Jesus was injured last season. Nketiah went four games without a goal in February to lose his spot to Trossard.
Like Nketiah, Havertz has also struggled to score regularly at the highest level. The Chelsea star, who hit the winner in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City, has scored just 19 Premier League goals in three seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Havertz's questionable return has left many Arsenal fans wondering why Arteta is spending a big chunk of his transfer budget on him when other departments need to be strengthened. Arsenal's need for a midfielder is clear, with two stars set to leave the club.
Granit Xhaka is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen, while Thomas Partey is attracting interest from Juventus and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Arteta is hoping to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice in a £100m deal but faces competition from Man City.