Arsenal academy graduate Eddie Nketiah was on the verge of leaving Arsenal for free a year ago, but chose to sign a new contract and extend his stay at the club.
After initially finding himself short of playing opportunities behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, he enjoyed a stunning breakthrough as he scored twice against Chelsea towards the end of the 2021-22 season.
He earned himself a new contract, despite interest from elsewhere and the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, and Nketiah has now revealed what motivated him to stay in North London.
Nketiah’s decision to stay
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Nketiah revealed that his love for the club, as well as the influence of Mikel Arteta, ultimately made him decide to stay.
“It was just my love for the club,” Nketiah claimed.
“London’s home, the club is home, but I’ve been an Arsenal fan all my life and that played a big part.
“Talking to the manager and the plans he had for me, and the fact he needed me, I knew I wanted to learn, develop and help this club.”
Unsung hero
Nketiah made his England debut on Friday night against Australia, after earning himself a callup following a strong start to the season.
He began the season superbly, scoring against Nottingham Forest and Fulham, whilst also contributing a lot outside the box in most of his games.
However, a slight dip in form has meant he is now being criticised by sections of the Arsenal fanbase.
Despite his goals drying up, he has still performed well as part of Mikel Arteta’s tactical plans, with his pressing and movement helping Arsenal to victory over Manchester City.
He may not be the flashy superstar that Arsenal fans pine for, but he is an excellent Premier League striker and an academy graduate and is clearly a player that Arteta rates highly.
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