Arsenal: 4 solutions to Eddie Nketiah striker problem

4. Convince Eddie Nketiah to Sign a New Contract

Arteta has never shied away from his love for Nketiah. Public pleas for him to stay are probably matched by the daily delivery of cheese baskets and 80’s love ballad compilation albums.

Considering how desperate he is to keep him and how smitten he is with his ability, the fact that Nketiah is just limited to Carabao Cup matches and the occasional stint out on the left wing doesn’t justify the praise.

If you truly believe he is this talented, then why leave him out of matchday squads for the vast majority of the campaign?

It sounded for all the world like Nketiah had made his mind up when speaking in his post-match interview, with his quest for more minutes set to take him places outside of north London. But, what if Arteta were successful in keeping him?

The final possible solution to this issue is the one Arteta craves most. If Nketiah starts either on Boxing Day against Norwich, or against Wolves, and then continues earning playing time in January while Aubameyang is away, maybe then he’ll finally heed his manager’s call.

As helpful as having a goalscoring Nketiah around the place can be, he hasn’t shown enough in big games to convince that he can transform the outlook of the team. For lack of a better explanation, Arsenal can do better.

However, Arteta seems to think differently. Maybe he Santa will give him the present he wants.