Arsenal: For Eddie Nketiah, wasted time is the biggest enemy

Arsenal have so many youth stars coming up through the ranks, but while each has their own obstacles, Eddie Nketia’s biggest is wasted time.

Eddie Nketiah is making the news lately for all the wrong reasons. And no, he isn’t underperforming. He isn’t struggling to find himself. It’s all completely out of his control, which is why it’s the worst situation possible. Simply put, the Arsenal man is getting the Serge Gnabry treatment… just not as bad.

Since moving to Leeds, Nketiah has scored and scored and scored and scored (four times, literally) despite amounting to just 162 minutes of Championship play. That makes him the fourth least-used player on all of Leeds first team.

Not a good place to be in for a 20-year-old who had just broken through into the Arsenal first team last season, proving himself a valuable commodity. It’s so bad that the Gunners are considering recalling him and re-loaning him where he might find more time.

It may sound crazy for a 20-year-old, but his biggest, fiercest enemy right now is wasted time. If, for no other reason, than because there are so many young prospects coming up through the system who are younger and hungrier and haven’t wasted time.

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Folarin Balogun is right on Nketiah’s heels. Same with Tyreece John-Jules. But Nketiah isn’t just competing with them. He’s competing with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, both of whom are looking for contract extensions as the two superstars of this club.

Nketiah’s goal in going out on loan was to prove that he is in a place where he can be trusted in the first team as a deputy striker. He can’t challenge the two superstars yet, but he can tuck on their shoulder and be next in line. Without the chance to prove that, each and every match he doesn’t start is another week wasted.

In a highly competitive world, it’s not just a player who serves as the subject of his own struggles, it’s the team he plays for, and Leeds are serving in that role right now.

Since he’s only 20, it’s not like his career is at risk here, but his Arsenal career is.

Nketiah needs to find his center again. He needs to find his sweet spot, and if that involves pulling him from Leeds and sending him somewhere that will give him the time he needs to avoid lost time. Each moment is precious!