Arsenal reject second offer from Premier League club for wantaway striker Eddie Nketiah
Arsenal have rejected a second bid from a Premier League club for wantaway striker Eddie Nketiah, according to a report.
The Englishman has barely featured in the league this season, amassing just 51 minutes of football in four substitute appearances. The majority of his opportunities have instead come in the Carabao Cup.
Nketiah has a great record in the domestic competition, having notched five goals in as many games this term. That includes a hat-trick in the quarter-final rout against Sunderland.
The 22-year-old appears eager to leave the Emirates so he can become an important player elsewhere.
Arsenal have offered him a new contract, only for it to be pushed back by the forward and his agent.
Crystal Palace opened talks with Arsenal on January 11 to discuss Nketiah’s availability. However, competition soon arose from Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Sky Sports provide an update on the situation. They claim Palace have had a second offer rejected by Mikel Arteta’s side.
Last chance for Arsenal to get Eddie Nketiah fee
That’s despite it being the Gunners’ last opportunity to get a fee for their academy graduate.
The rejection could see Newcastle leapfrog the Eagles in the race for Eddie Nketiah. According to The Guardian, the Magpies are willing to pay around £10million for him in January.
Nketiah’s exit may leave Arteta in a problematic position. Several of his attacking team-mates are close to leaving north London.
Barcelona have reportedly come to an agreement with Arsenal to take Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on loan. However, the deal will only go through if Barca offload winger Ousmane Dembele first.
Alexandre Lacazette, meanwhile, has admitted to searching for a new destination.
Allowing those three players to leave would heighten Arsenal’s need for a new striker. They were left disappointed on Friday as transfer target Dusan Vlahovic joined Juventus.
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Dusan Vlahovic agent explains transfer decision
Dusan Vlahovic has spoken openly and honestly about why he decided to sign for Juventus, while his agent has used just four words to explain the striker turning his back on Arsenal.
Vlahovic arrived in Turin on Friday morning to undergo a medical and rubberstamp his move from Fiorentina. Juve have a agreed a €70m plus deal, with €5m add ons.
Ultimately, it was Arsenal’s lack of Champions League football which resulted in Vlahovic snubbing their interest.
Explaining his reasons for signing for Juventus, Vlahovic admits he cannot wait to get started.
“Juventus represents pride, tradition, family. Juventus are always there until the last minute, they never give up,” the Serbian striker claimed.
“The team always comes first. I am at the disposal of the coach and my teammates, who I will try to help in the best way possible.
“We always want more, and we want to improve in the future. Today is my birthday, which is really wonderful, a special day for me.
“This is one of the happiest birthdays I’ve experienced so far. I want to make Juventus proud. We will always fight for all goals, as they say, fino alle fine!”
While he did not mention Arsenal directly, the striker’s agent has issued a simple response when asked why he was joining the Old Lady.
He told reporters: “Juventus are always Juventus…”
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