Ultimate Arsenal source reveals ‘no indication’ Gunners star will leave despite clear replacement idea
Arsenal trio Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Thomas Partey
A transfer expert has moved to end rumours Eddie Nketiah will leave Arsenal, despite the Gunners firmly being in the mix to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is once again without main centre-forward Gabriel Jesus, as the Brazilian will be out of action for a few weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Sevilla in the Champions League last week.
It is a huge shame for Arsenal, as Jesus was fantastic in that game, brilliantly setting up Gabriel Martinelli for the opener before getting on the scoresheet himself.
Jesus’ latest injury has once again brought up questions over whether Arteta needs another big-name striker to join his squad, such as Toney. But current backup Nketiah attempted to end that talk by notching a brilliant hat-trick in Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United on Saturday.
Nketiah’s first goal came in the 28th minute, when he took an excellent touch away from former Arsenal defender Auston Trusty before finishing on his right foot.
In the second half, Nketiah secured his brace by firing into the roof of the net from close range after Sheff Utd goalkeeper Wes Foderingham failed to deal with a corner. And the 24-year-old capped off a memorable day when he swivelled and fired into the top corner from outside the box in the 58th minute, giving Foderingham absolutely no chance.
READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano drops bombshell on Aurelien Tchouameni to Arsenal transfer
In an interview with CaughtOffside, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has stated that there is ‘no indication’ Nketiah will be departing the Emirates any time soon, in order to make room for Toney.
“Arsenal really wanted him to stay, they extended his contract months ago, so the idea has always been to trust him. I have no indications of him leaving,” Romano declared.
Fabrizio Romano discusses Nketiah, Toney futures
Attention then turned to Toney, who is understood to be a target for both Arsenal and Chelsea. The England star views January as the perfect time to take the next step in his career by leaving Brentford and joining an elite club.
“Toney is really appreciated by Arsenal, same at Chelsea, so I think the race is absolutely open,” Romano added. “At the moment nothing is agreed with the player or Brentford, but for sure he’s appreciated.
“We’ll have to see Arsenal’s situation in December, it will depend on their position in their Champions League group and the Premier League table. It’s not guaranteed that they will spend big money on Toney, because it would have to be at least £65m, so Arsenal want to take their time to decide on what they need.”
While Arsenal represents a more attractive option for Toney than Chelsea at this moment in time, it could actually be Stamford Bridge where the goalscorer ends up. That is because Chelsea chiefs are far more willing to spend big and match the £65m figure needed to reach an agreement with Brentford.
