Arsenal: Eddie Nketiah loan recall shows club development

Arsenal are set to recall Eddie Nketiah from his loan season at Leeds United before sending him on loan to another team with more starting opportunities. Such a decision shows the development of the decision-making at the club.

This was always going to be a big season for Eddie Nketiah. With Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang established as the starting centre-forwards at Arsenal but with Nketiah impressing in preseason and pushing hard for more opportunities, a decision had to be made. This was the year that Nketiah was meant to break into senior football, but that would be difficult in north London.

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As such, the Gunners made the decision to loan out the 20-year-old striker, seeking a team at which he would start on a regular basis. After a lengthy research process that required suitors to submit a presentation as to why they would be the best team for Nketiah to join, Arsenal selected Leeds United. It would be a mistake.

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Nketiah made his first league start of the season in Sunday’s dramatic 5-4 win over Birmingham City. He has played only 450 league minutes this campaign, largely stuck on the bench behind Patrick Bamford.

Back in October, Nketiah himself revealed that he was a little unhappy with his limited playing opportunities:

"“I feel like I probably haven’t been given the chances I would have liked, I would have liked to play a lot more minutes. Obviously I’m never going to be totally happy if I’m not playing because I’m proud player, I believe I should be playing and I always want to be playing so I’ll never be happy with not playing.”"

As a result of his limited opportunities, Arsenal have now taken the ruthless and correct decision to

withdraw Nketiah from his loan ahead of finding a new destination in the January transfer window

, quite possibly Bristol City, who have been interested in Nketiah for several years, most prominently in the summer when Leeds won out.

Nketiah is being loaned out because of the limited playing opportunities he would receive in north London. But if he is not being given those opportunities by the club at which he is on loan, then why is he on loan in the first place? It is illogical. And so, justifiably, the Gunners have withdrawn Nketiah from his time at Leeds and will now look for a new team.

What is most surprising about this is the surprising nature of the team’s decision is that they have not shown such awareness in the past. Calum Chambers was sent out on loan last year without a callback clause included. Reiss Nelson hardly played on his loan deal last year, while plenty other of young players have seen their developments stented by poor loan choices. Arsenal made the wrong choice for the Nketiah loan in the summer, but they are now humble and aware enough to amend it six months later.

Arsenal are showing a greater intelligence in their team building, something that they are not especially known for. It may not mean much, but if they continue to make wise squad-assembling decisions, it will make a difference. And for Nketiah, this could finally be the making of him in his most important campaign yet.