Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has now claimed that Mikel Arteta failed to get the best out of Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal.
Eddie Nketiah is likely to leave Arsenal this summer.
The Hale End academy graduate slipped down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium last season, and spent the second half of the campaign on the outskirts of the squad.
Nketiah is now close to joining Marseille, as it is clear that he is no longer in Mikel Arteta’s plans. Arsenal are now pushing to sign Dominic Solanke.
Meanwhile, Nketiah needs to move on from North London for the good of his career. The 25-year-old needs to be playing regular football, and he won’t get the game time he needs with the Gunners.
However, Tony Cascarino is convinced that the once-capped England man could have been a star for Arsenal had Arteta tweaked his tactics to get the best out of the player.
How Mikel Arteta could’ve gotten the best out of Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal
Speaking on talkSPORT (04/08/2024, 08:38), Cascarino said: “Truthfully, can I just say on Eddie, I think he is a fantastic talent. I really like him. I am not sure about wanting to stay at Arsenal because opportunity might be difficult.
“I think he falls into the unfortunate bracket. If he was in pairs like they used to be upfront, if he was playing alongside someone, Eddie is a fantastic finisher, really top finisher. I think he is falling into that bracket where you are on your own, leading the line. He has not got the physicality.”
Who could’ve partnered Nketiah at Arsenal?
Arteta has never really experimented with playing two strikers up front together in any meaningful way. It is, however, easy to see how this setup would’ve helped Nketiah. With a figure such as Kai Havertz at the top of the pitch alongside him, able to occupy defenders and hold up the ball, Nketiah would have been able to focus on finding space in the penalty area, where his poaching instincts come into play.
However, this change would’ve forced Arteta to sacrifice a body in midfield, and the Spanish coach was never going to accept that, as the Gunners’ play is reliant upon their ability to dominate and win duels in the middle of the park.
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