3 reasons Arsenal shouldn’t give Eddie Nketiah a new deal

At this point in time when everything seems to be coming up roses with a new(ish) striker leading the line, most would argue that Arsenal would be foolish to let Eddie Nketiah leave.

Putting in another well-rounded performance for the club in the 2-1 win over West Ham, everything that Nketiah had previously been critiqued about he’s now being praised for.

While it would be reductive to suggest that the three matches Arsenal have won in succession against Chelsea, Manchester United and the Hammers are simply because Alexandre Lacazette has been replaced in the team by the 22-year-old, his inclusion has certainly helped.

There is now a threat going both ways. Lacazette’s penchant for dropping deep to receive offered the side an outlet, but only one. An unwillingness to stretch the play in behind stems from an inability to do so. He simply isn’t athletic enough.

3 reasons Arsenal should not give Eddie Nketiah a new contract despite his impressive form in the bid for a Premier League top four place

And athleticism is something that Nketiah has in abundance. His work rate isn’t confined to advanced midfield positions as he works the channels, closes the opposition down on the ball and drops off to link and facilitate. The latter of those points is something he’s improved on tremendously.

Scoring twice at Chelsea felt like a coming of age showing, although his all round display at home to United was arguably even stronger. While he may not have had the best first half at the London Stadium, his second half outing demonstrated all the facets of play this team required at this point in time. Nketiah was desperately unlucky not to score. He deserved to.

This renaissance, one that has caught so many by surprise, has prompted talk of a fresh deal in the offing, one that Mikel Arteta has made no secret about wanting to convince the striker to sign.

Between now and the end of the season Arsenal need Nketiah. Enormously so. Hopes of a top four finish and Champions League football rest on his shoulders just as it does the rest. But, this should be the end. After this season it will be time for him, and Arsenal, to move on.

1. Arsenal Won’t Bridge the Gap With Nketiah

It’s still undetermined where Arsenal will finish in the Premier League this season. The only certainty that we have is that Europa League football, at the least, is heading back to the Emirates Stadium. No Conference League.

All of which is progress in the context of where Arsenal were. Simply playing European football is not where this club aspires to be, but for this season it is unquestionable progress off the back of consecutive eighth place finishes.

Looking further, what is the plan? Ahead of the final four matches Arsenal find themselves 20 points adrift of leaders Manchester City. That, as unachievable as it may be next season, is the gap to bridge. If that isn’t the ultimate goal then there is no point bothering.

Over the coming seasons Arsenal want to be in that echelon, both in continental competitions and domestically. Nketiah, while certain to have a strong career ahead of him, is not the player who will lead the club to those aspirations. Unless as a club you are constantly seeking to improve and progress you are then effectively looking backwards.

More time could be spent developing Nketiah and nurturing him into a regular Premier League striker, or the club could go out and purchase the best they can afford. Right now, looking at where Arsenal are and have been, sticking with a player who couldn’t get into a team that finished eighth in consecutive campaigns is settling for where you are.

Arsenal don’t want to be fighting for their lives to secure fourth place. Arsenal want to be the best and in order to do so they need to have the best, or at least the very best they can get.

Nketiah is sadly not that. Heck, he might be, but more assurances are needed.

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2. Arsenal Need Competition for Places

News on the grapevine is that Arsenal want to sign two forwards this summer. There is some discussion over whether they want two strikers or one who can be a hybrid and slot into wide areas when needed to, but the bottom line is two players to effectively help score goals.

Should they sign two then only one is likely to play at any given time. To paraphrase what Arteta said when the club signed Aaron Ramsdale, ‘I don’t want a No.1 and a No. 2, I want two No. 1s’.

That has to be the ethos across the team. If William Saliba returns and is integrated into the first team squad then it shouldn’t be seen as adding a backup, it should be viewed through the lens of competition. Why shouldn’t he challenge either Benjamin White or Gabriel?

If Arsenal do – for example – sign Gabriel Jesus and keep Nketiah, telling the pair that neither is guaranteed a starting spot in the side, then is Nketiah really the player to test Jesus and improve him as a player? This is someone who had been competing with Sergio Aguero, and since has been tussling with Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva for a spot in Man City’s front three.

The striker who isn’t playing at any given time has to be pushing his teammate right to the edge. If for just one second there is a drop-off in form they are ready to pounce. It comes back to the general notion of quality, but is Nketiah really the guy to eek an extra five percent out of his fellow centre-forward?

Having been at the club for so long, there would be a general lift around the place from having talented new faces suddenly vying for involvement. All players improve when they play alongside a higher calibre of player. Nketiah won’t provide that lift.

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3. If Nketiah Stays He Has to Play Every Week

There is a reason that this discussion is ongoing in the first place. Nketiah has turned down more than one contract offer from Arsenal. He wants assurances of minutes.

"“Obviously there have been talks and offers of a new [Arsenal] contract but at the moment my aim is to play football and play regularly,” Nketiah told TBG Podcast. “That is my ambition and that is what I hope to do. “For me, I feel like I am at this stage where I am thinking I signed a contract for five years when I was 18, and in that five years how many starts have I had? I have probably started about 30 games in all competitions. “People start 30 games in one season, you know?”"

It’s been floated about, somewhat understandably, that Nketiah should be kept on to be the backup striker at Arsenal. Not wanting to be the backup striker is exactly why we are looking at the final four games of his career in north London.

The club should have sold him way earlier, but that’s a different matter.

Keeping Nketiah on only implies that he is the leading man. If that is the case then it completely changes the profile of player the club go out to sign. The idea of having ‘backups’ needs to be gone and with all the water under the bridge in regards to Nketiah, any other incoming striker will think twice as they’ll be aware of the situation. If Nketiah signs, their place in the team isn’t certain because the demands of the 22-year-old have been made plainly clear.

But on a more personable note, unrelated to Arsenal’s position, for the sake of his career it makes sense for Nketiah to leave. While contracts at Arsenal are not easy to come by (anymore), he aspires to be the number one and with the host of clubs vying for his signature there is the chance at a fresh start; a new chapter in his career.

Wherever he goes he will have a great career. Perhaps not an incredible one, but certainly a productive one. Go out and enjoy yourself somewhere you can rock the No. 9 shirt every week, Eddie.