Report: Brighton want 22-year-old Arsenal star in January
Brighton have become the latest Premier League club interested in signing Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal during the January transfer window, according to a report from The Sun.
As things stand, Nketiah is still set to leave the Gunners in one of the next two windows. His contract at the Emirates expires in the summer. And previous reports claimed that he had told the club that he was leaving.
The Sun notes that Bayer Leverkusen are eyeing a pre-contract deal for the 22-year-old. But there is also a contingent of Premier League sides looking to land his signature this month.
Reports on Tuesday suggested that he was one of four Arsenal players wanted by Newcastle this month. And The Sun has claimed that Brighton have joined Crystal Palace in the race.
The Seagulls only have four players with more than one Premier League goal this term. And their top goalscorer, Neal Maupay has still come in for criticism for missing some brilliant chances.
Interestingly, Nketiah has already been backed to move to the Amex Stadium in recent weeks.
The striker’s future became a talking point after he scored a hat-trick in the last round of Carabao Cup. His performance prompted Paul Merson to urge him to sign a new contract and stay.
Darren Bent however, insisted that Nketiah should look at leaving for the sake of his career. And he picked out Brighton as being ‘perfect’ for the former England under-21 international.
Arsenal selling Eddie Nketiah to Brighton may be a popular move with Gunners fans
For some supporters, losing Nketiah to a Premier League rival would be a gamble. He has shown that he has potential. And Arsenal will be wary of him coming back to haunt the club.
Having said that, selling him to Brighton or Palace would give Arsenal a chance to get a small fee for Nketiah.
Both clubs do face the Gunners before the campaign concludes. But they will also face a number of the sides around Arteta’s men in the table. So Nketiah could also help take points off the teams battling Arsenal for a top four spot.
