Arsenal and Danny Welbeck: Eddie Nketiah or January transfer window?

Danny Welbeck could well be unavailable for the rest of the season. Should Arsenal turn to Eddie Nketiah or the January transfer window to replace him?

It remains to be seen how long Danny Welbeck will be on the sidelines for. But after suffering what Unai Emery described as a ‘significant’ ankle injury during Thursday night’s 0-0 draw against Sporting CP, it is safe to assume that he will be unavailable for selection for some time. For however long he does spend on the sidelines, Arsenal will surely miss him.

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Although Welbeck is not a sure starter in the Premier League, his presence in the squad as a reliable reserve and versatile depth option is invaluable. The players that can play 20 or 30 games in a variety of different positions are critical to a team’s success throughout the season. Welbeck is the best example of that.

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And so, with the gangly-legged centre-forward absent, Emery will have to look for alternative options to fill the void left behind. There are two fairly obvious answers to the conundrum, neither of which may actually be the most convincing but are the clearest to at least some semblance of security: Promoting young Eddie Nketiah, who has been scoring goals for fun at youth level and has been patiently waiting for his chance with the first team; Or look to the January transfer window to sign a replacement.

On which is the better path to take, the choice comes down to a fairly simple evaluation of Nketiah’s quality and readiness. If Emery believes him to be capable of substituting in for Welbeck, then there is no need to use the notoriously turbulent and pricy winter window; if Emery is doubtful of Nketiah’s preparedness, then it is plain that Arsenal must now look to invest in another option, either on a permanent or temporary basis.

Nketiah looked sharp when playing for the first team last season. He scored twice to rescue Arsenal in a 2-1 win over Norwich in the EFL Cup, chants of ‘Eddie! Eddie!’ subsequently reverberating around the Emirates. But he only played 66 minutes in the Europa League and Premier League and failed to have a real impact.

He did, however, feature prominently in this summer’s preseason tour of Singapore, notching a lovely strike in a 5-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain. And at youth level, he has proven himself prolific. In Premier League 2, he has notched 23 goals in 27 appearances, four of which are from off the bench, across three seasons. Last year, his record was 12 goals in 13 games; this year, he has scored six in seven.

Does that mean he is ready to replicate the influence of Welbeck? Well, maybe. Chuba Akpom was equally successful at youth level. He departed this summer with barely a notice of his leaving. Gedion Zelalem and Jeff Reine-Adelaide also have been heralded as the great ones to come. And yet, none have been able to produce consistently at the senior level.

It remains to be seen how Emery will deal with the presumed extended absence of Welbeck. Until January, Arsenal will have to hobble by. But when the winter window opens, we will then get to see what Emery really makes of Nketiah. Does he trust him or does he improve upon him? Only time will tell.