West Ham United and Watford are among the Premier League clubs interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer, football.london’s Chris Wheatley reports.
Nketiah had a frustrating 2020/21 campaign with the Gunners where he was the back-up option behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
He was restricted to just over 1,300 minutes of game time across 30 appearances but still impressed by finding the back of the net on six occasions.
With just one year left on his contract, Nketiah is attracting widespread interest. Bayer Leverkusen are keen on luring him to the Bundesliga.
The 22-year-old is also on the radar of West Ham and newly promoted Watford.
Sportslens view:
Nketiah’s future with the Gunners appears bleak after the club handed a new five-year contract to Folarin Balogun earlier this year.
The youngster has yet to make his Premier League debut, but he has been promoted to the first-team squad ahead of next season.
This could pave the way for Nketiah’s exit, and he could prefer to stay in the Premier League rather than move abroad.
The Hammers have just one specialist striker in Michail Antonio in their squad, and he has been injury-prone over the past few seasons.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are stocked with centre-forward options with Troy Deeney, Andre Gray and Isaac Success in their ranks.
However, the trio netted a tally of just 13 goals last season, and the Hornets desperately need more firepower up front.
A move to the Hammers could be a more lucrative option for Nketiah with the chance to play in the Europa League next season.
The former England Under-21 captain was impressive in the European competition last term with three goals from eight outings.
Nketiah averaged a goal every 218 minutes last season. This would constitute a 15-goal campaign in the Premier League with regular game time.
He has plenty of room for development at his age, and it remains to be seen whether either West Ham or Watford can secure his signature this summer.
The Gunners reportedly value Nketiah at around £20 million.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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