Arsenal have turned down another bid from Crystal Palace for striker Eddie Nketiah, 90min can confirm.
The 22-year-old is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium this summer and is already able to negotiate a deal with clubs from abroad over a future transfer.
As it stands, Nketiah has no intention of extending stay in north London, with a lack of minutes the primary reason for his unhappiness.
Crystal Palace have been tracking Nketiah, as have Newcastle and West Ham, and 90min can confirm that another offer was lodged with Arsenal. However, that bid has been turned down, with head coach Mikel Arteta keen to prolong his stay at the club.
Indeed, when asked about Nketiah’s future at the club recently, Arteta said: “I’ve already spoken about Eddie, how I feel about him, the intentions of the club. He’s with us and every day he shows me that he wants to stay with us.”
Arsenal‘s stance on a possible exit may be linked to ongoing interest in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was recently stripped of the club captaincy and has been linked with moves to Barcelona, Juventus and the Middle East.
The 32-year-old takes home around £350,000-per-week in wages and Arsenal’s preference may be to let him go so they can free up money on their wage bill. If he is the one to leave, Nketiah would then be the only recognised striker at the club alongside Alexandre Lacazette.
Nevertheless, a deal before the end of January can’t be ruled out, with Newcastle particularly keen to strengthen their frontline in a bid to stave off relegation. Nketiah is a player that manager Eddie Howe is known to like, though interest from Germany and France over a summer free transfer may further complicate matters.
This article was originally published on 90min as Arsenal reject another offer from Crystal Palace for Eddie Nketiah.
Source: www.90min.com
