Arsenal to make important Eddie Nketiah transfer decision

Does Eddie Nketiah or Folarin Balogun Go in January?

Two players, two strikers, two friends, one spot in the team, one agent. What a fascinating dynamic.

To avoid losing Nketiah for nothing in the summer apart from an undetermined, and very small, tribunal fee, moving the centre-forward on in the winter could suit all parties: Nketiah gets to play and Arsenal get something in return for his departure.

Interestingly, Palace still hold an interest despite bringing in Odsonne Edouard after failing to agree terms with Nketiah, while there are club across Europe also keeping watch. Borussia Mönchengladbach have regularly been mentioned among other Bundesliga outfits.

Should a sale be made, it would then put the brakes on Folarin Balogun making a loan departure somewhere in the Championship. This is a drum that has been beaten countless times, as he is being wasted in Under-23 football, but Flo has come out since and suggested a loan would be best for his development.

Were Nketiah to leave though, then it’s likely he would have to stick around and be backup to Alexandre Lacazette and Gabriel Martinelli even after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returns from AFCON with Gabon.

As Charles Watts notes, Arteta is going to be reluctant to embark on the second half of the season with only three strikers on the books, one of whom the jury is still out on as to whether he’s even a striker at all. Equally, if the Lacazette and Aubameyang partnership up top continues then the manager is sure to want to Balogun (or Nketiah) around as cover.

In any case, moving Nketiah on in January will be tough. He’ll be inundated with more financially alluring offers come the summer, and whatever he’s sold for will only be pittance anyway.

Looking at the future, the decision, when it come to it, needs to one that benefits Balogun and keeps the more experienced option as backup. The positives of Balogun playing six months on loan outweighs the negatives Arsenal have already got themselves into with Nketiah’s contract situation.

The argument may be made that three centre-forwards will suffice and both can depart, but it’s a decision Arteta is unlikely to make.