‘Extraordinary’ Arsenal player’s wage demands emerge amid Premier League transfer interest

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Arsenal have already allowed Emile Smith Rowe to leave the club this summer and another homegrown Gunners talent could follow.

With a heavy heart, Mikel Arteta decided that the time had come for Emile Smith Rowe to leave Arsenal this summer.

Smith Rowe joined Fulham and remarked on an ‘emotional’ decision to leave the Emirates Stadium.

The playmaker just wasn’t playing regularly enough and is already taking on a key role in the Fulham side.

Arsenal may now be willing to allow another homegrown player to leave following the arrival of Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Eddie Nketiah stance on Nottingham Forest

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has attracted interest throughout the summer.

Marseille had a bid rejected for Nketiah before signing Elye Wahi instead, whilst Bournemouth were keen but dropped their interest.

Nottingham Forest are the latest suitor; Forest are in dialogue with Arsenal over a potential Nketiah move.

TalkSPORT now claim that Forest’s £25million offer for Nketiah has been rejected – and there may be an issue over wages too.

It’s claimed that Nketiah earns around £120,000-a-week at Arsenal and isn’t prepared to take a pay cut to leave.

That would allegedly make Nketiah the highest-paid player at Forest and those demands may yet prove to be a stumbling block.

Nketiah signed a new Arsenal contract in 2022 and still has three years left on that deal.

Forest subsequently have other striking targets in mind, including Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez and one mystery option.

Forest have been in talks to sign Gimenez as Nuno Espirito Santo eyes up another goalscorer to support Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi.

Nketiah would be another tough Arsenal exit

Nketiah only started 10 Premier League games last season but came off the bench 17 times.

A key starting role just hasn’t been possible on a consistent basis for Nketiah but Arteta has been a fan of the striker for a while.

Arteta praised Nketiah as ‘extraordinary’ in 2020 when speaking to Arsenal’s official website and it’s no surprise that Arteta has kept him around the first team picture.

The time does come for an exit though; it came for Smith Rowe earlier this summer and it may come for Nketiah in the coming weeks.

Nketiah needs to be playing regular first-team football and the rapid acceleration of Arsenal’s aims under Arteta means some players may be left behind.

Arteta has always rated Nketiah and would not kick him out of the club, but a departure will be sanctioned – if Nketiah’s wages can be thrashed out elsewhere.