Arsenal agreed to sell 24-year-old to PL side a couple of years ago but he stayed

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Charles Watts has suggested that Arsenal actually agreed a deal with Crystal Palace for Eddie Nketiah a couple of years ago, with the Premier League side still keen on the striker.

Eddie Nketiah appears to be one player within the Arsenal squad with a question mark hanging over his future heading into the January transfer window.

Arsenal are being linked with a number of players, including Ivan Toney. And Nketiah has not completed 90 minutes in the Premier League since October.

Eddie Nketiah nearly joined Crystal Palace a couple of years ago

The Daily Mail reported this week that Crystal Palace want Nketiah. But this is not the first time that the Eagles have targeted the 24-year-old.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Charles Watts has noted that the striker very nearly ended up moving to Selhurst Park before opting to stay at the Emirates.

“Palace’s interest in Nketiah is longstanding,” he said. “A couple of years ago, he was very, very close to moving. Arsenal had agreed a deal, as far as I was aware and was told, with Palace for Nketiah. And that broke down over personal terms as Palace negotiated with Nketiah and his people over that move.

“It didn’t happen, he stayed at Arsenal, went on to sign his new contract of course. But Palace are still interested in him.”

Striker’s immediate future may depend on who Arsenal bring in in January

Palace are not going to find it easy to strike a deal next month. Arsenal apparently want £50 million for Nketiah, which would represent a club-record sale.

It makes no sense for Arsenal to let him go unless someone else is coming in to provide cover and competition for Gabriel Jesus.

But should they manage to find another striker, Nketiah would surely be wise to move on. Jesus has not been prolific this season. And yet, he remains ahead of the England international in the pecking order.

So if another striker comes in, Nketiah’s game-time will become even less frequent.

Obviously, he will be wary of leaving Arsenal at a time when the Gunners could enjoy a historic season. But it may not be too enjoyable anyway should he find himself barely playing in the second-half of the campaign.