Pundit says Arsenal made £26m mistake in summer with Nketiah decision

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Former Arsenal ace Stewart Robson believes the north London club made a mistake this summer selling Folarin Balogun instead of Eddie Nketiah.

Arsenal cashed in on Folarin Balogun in the recent summer transfer window, whilst Mikel Arteta kept faith in Eddie Nketiah.

Nketiah has played plenty of football for the Gunners so far this season. The 24-year-old forward has started seven of Arsenal’s eight Premier League games so far this season, scoring twice.

The £100,000-a-week Hale End academy graduate can always be relied upon to work hard, press well, and is a decent finisher if given the service he requires. However, there is certainly a strong argument that Nketiah isn’t of the elite standard required to be the main man firing Arsenal to a Premier League title triumph.

Given there was never going to be enough room for both Nketiah and Balogun in this first team squad this season, the 22-year-old was allowed to join Monaco in a deal worth £25.7 million.

The USA international’s stock was high in the summer, as he enjoyed a fine loan spell with Ligue 1 outfit Reims last season, scoring 21 goals in the French top flight.

Now back in France, the New York-born attacker has made an impressive start to the new campaign. Balogun has scored three times and provided one assist in five outings for his new club so far.

Nketiah v Balogun debate rages on

There was plenty of debate in the summer as to which of the two strikers should be kept at the club. Stewart Robson, who played for Arsenal 186 times between 1981 and 1987, believes that the club probably made the wrong choice.

Speaking on ESPN, the 58-year-old former midfielder said, “Balogun is probably a better player I would say. Eddie Nketiah has done okay on occasions but I still don’t think he’s going to be a regular player for Arsenal.”

Nketiah is a useful player for Arteta to have at his disposal, but it is hard not to imagine how the Gunners’ might have regularly lined up this season were Balogun still at the Emirates Stadium.