It's been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year, as with some impressive preseason wins against the likes of Manchester United, Lyon and Bayer Leverkusen, there is much to be cheerful and hopeful about heading into a campaign with so much on the line.
However, as things stand, the only signing made that has changed the first team remains Riccardo Calafiori, and while he looks to be a quality addition, it doesn't feel enough in the face of the unstoppable Manchester City.
Moreover, while the club managed to get an impressive fee for Emile Smith Rowe earlier in the window, they have struggled to sell several other players who, if they stay, are set to remain on the periphery this year.
One of those players is Eddie Nketiah, and while he's a good striker, the Gunners have already been linked with another centre-forward this summer who'd be an ideal upgrade.
The latest on Eddie Nketiah
Nketiah only made 37 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions last season, amounting to 1393 minutes, and so it was always quite clear that the plan this summer was going to be to sell him.
It appeared that would happen late last month when French giants Marseille made a concerted effort to bring him to the French Riviera, although the potential fee was a significant sticking point for both teams.
The Gunners demanded a fee of up to €30m, which is about £26m, while the Ligue 1 side wanted to pay closer to €20m, which is just £17m.
It looked like a deal had been reached late last week for a loan with an obligation to buy closer to Arsenal's valuation. However, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed yesterday afternoon that the deal was dead.
This situation suits neither the player nor the club, but Arteta and Co could still bring in a dream replacement for the Englishman this summer, which may see him banished from the squad altogether.
Why Jonathan David could banish Nketiah from the team
Yes, the player in question is LOSC Lille ace Jonathan David, who was touted for a move to the Emirates earlier this summer, and for a fee as low as £20m.
This reasonable fee, primarily due to his contract expiring next summer, is one of the key reasons that the Gunners could still sign him despite missing out on the money that the sale Nketiah would've brought in, which could be bad news for the Englishman.
The Canadian international would be an instant upgrade on the North Londoners' number 14, and his output over the last four years is a testament to that.
Appearances
48
48
40
47
Goals
13
19
26
26
Assists
5
0
4
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.37
0.39
0.75
0.74
For example, since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the Brooklyn-born marksman, whom journalist Tony Marinaro described as "one of the best strikers in the world," has scored 84 goals and provided 18 assists in 183 appearances. This means he's averaged a goal involvement every 1.79 games – a level of consistency that should excite fans.
In this same period, the striker he could replace in Arteta's squad has scored 31 goals and provided seven assists in 132 appearances, which equates to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.47 games.
Appearances
29
27
39
37
Goals
6
10
9
6
Assists
1
1
2
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.24
0.40
0.28
0.24
Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the 54-capped international sits in the top 14% of strikers for non-penalty expected goals and actual non-penalty goals, suggesting he's excellent at getting himself into goalscoring positions and just as good at finishing them off.
Ultimately, if failing to sell Nketiah impacts Arsenal's plans to sign more expensive targets this summer, bringing David to replace him in the squad wouldn't be a bad idea. In fact, even if he is sold, the Canadian's impressive goal record would make him a brilliant addition to Arteta's squad.
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6 ByJack Salveson HolmesAug 12, 2024