Report: ‘Extraordinary’ ace ready to sign new Arsenal deal but wants a promise from Arteta first

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According to a report from CalcioMercato, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has offered a new contract to Eddie Nketiah.

The Englishman has entered the final year of his contract and he is free to talk to foreign clubs from January. It’s looking increasingly likely that Nketiah will leave as a free agent next summer, but Arsenal aren’t giving up.

The 22-year-old striker showed his quality in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win against Leeds United a few days ago. He scored and performed really well, and Arteta heaped praise on him in his post-match press conference.

That performance seems to have convinced Arteta that keeping hold of Nketiah is a good thing. The Englishman has reportedly been offered a new deal as a result, but he wants a promise from the Arsenal boss before he puts pen to paper.

Nketiah wants game time assurances before he signs a new Arsenal contract

Despite being in and around the squad regularly, Nketiah hasn’t played a minute in the Premier League since April. He has either been on the bench or out of the squad completely, which is not ideal at all.

At 22 years of age, he needs regular football to develop into the player he can be. Sadly for him, he’s not getting that at Arsenal.

As a result, Nketiah has reportedly asked Arteta to promise him regular game time before he signs a new deal. It’s unclear how the Arsenal boss responded to that demand, but we can’t imagine him saying yes.

Should Nketiah stay at Arsenal?

Arsenal are right to offer a new contract to Nketiah. Losing him for free after helping him become the player he is today would be a real shame. The Gunners are just trying to protect his value, and they’re right to do so.

However, it makes very little sense for Nketiah to sign a new deal. He has Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of him and he’s not replacing the Arsenal skipper as long as he’s at the club.

Alexandre Lacazette is expected to leave the club in the summer, and if he does, Arsenal will surely sign a replacement. That striker will likely be more established than Nketiah as well, which will block the 22-year-old’s chances of regular game time.

The best thing for Nketiah, labelled as ‘extraordinary‘ by Arteta, would be to find a club where he’ll play every single game. He could really thrive in such a side, and the fact that he will be a free agent means he’s set for a big payday as well.