Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah the headsman of Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck’s future at Arsenal is unclear, but Eddie Nketiah may be helping make it more clear, in a not-so-great way for him.

Arsenal is a club in motion. They are moving and they are shaking and all those that can’t keep up with the changes will be left behind. Those that were never meant to be part of the wheels in motion can also be left behind.

And those being forced behind by someone younger than them aren’t in the best of shape either.

That is the category in which Danny Welbeck currently falls into. He isn’t yet proven enough to be a reliable first team starter. He is a reliable role player, but you can argue that Eddie Nketiah is too.

Both carry very similar assets. They are fast, strong, fearless. They are smart on the ball, they are improving, they are almost identical in size.

Welbeck is obviously more valuable to the here and now, but it’s hard to say that Nketiah wouldn’t match that present-day value, if given the chance. He has shown up in major ways since inching into the first-team picture.

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And it’s his two major differences with Welbeck that set him up as the potential headsman of his senior.

Which leads into the first difference – age. It speaks for itself, but when someone eight years your junior is proving to be like you, only eight years younger, you better start to do something spectacular really soon.

The second difference – the affinity to score goals.

Unlike Welbeck, Nketiah has never had any problems scoring goals. And that is a trend that keeps on proving true. He hasn’t played much with the first team, but he saved our arses against Norwich City with two goals in less than ten minutes.

Welbeck’s primary criticism is that he can’t score consistently. That is Nketiah’s biggest asset. He has a nose for goal and he is developing that nose with the first team as we speak.

While I still want Welbeck on the team, if Nketiah is deemed to be just as good and just as ready at the age of 19, then I’ll happily wave good-bye to Welbeck and wish him well. It’s an age of practicality now, and this point of progress is rather practical.

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I, for one, can’t wait to see more of Nketiah. I’ll set my feelings aside if that means we have to lose Welbeck in the process. Or at least I’ll try to.

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