Eddie Nketiah transfer shouldn’t mask the fact that Edu still has 12-year Arsenal problem to solve

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal look set to part ways with Eddie Nketiah this summer as the striker has generated Premier League interest.

Nine years ago, Arsenal signed Eddie Nketiah from Chelsea’s academy to take control of the Englishman’s development ahead of his journey at senior level. 

The striker has since made 168 appearances for the Gunners, where he has netted 38 goals however, his time in North London appears to be nearing its end.

Mikel Arteta and Edu are ready to sell Nketiah this summer if their £30m asking price is met, with Premier League interest now coming in for the 25-year-old. 

• READ MORE: Every player linked to and from Arsenal in the summer 2024 transfer window

Bournemouth interest in Eddie Nketiah is positive for Arsenal

After Nketiah’s move to Marseille collapsed, many were agitated at Edu’s firm stance on Arsenal’s asking price for the forward.

Now, it’s been reported that Bournemouth are eyeing Nketiah as a possible replacement for Dominic Solanke, who just signed for Spurs.

A possible move could see Arsenal generate pure profit from the former Chelsea starlet, who would finally earn the chance to secure consistent game time in the Premier League. 

• READ MORE: ‘That’s why…’ Mikel Arteta addresses Eddie Nketiah transfer future amid Arsenal and Marseille talks

The move is positive for Arsenal, who have been accused of selling players too late or too easily in the past, with the movement this summer highlighting a change in culture at the club.

Offloading Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe and exit-linked Reiss Nelson would be bold from the Gunners but would also represent a clear out of players who are rarely-used by Arteta. 

While parting ways with Nketiah, whose claim to play for Arsenal has been questioned over the years, scoring no more than five goals in a Premier League season, it only reinforces how much work Edu has to do in the striker department.

Edu still has a problem to solve when it comes to Arsenal’s strikers

On the departure front, the movement in the striker role is positive for the Gunners and shows recent development however, the matter of arrivals still needs attention.

You’d have to go back to the 2020/21 campaign to review the last time that an Arsenal striker was the club’s top scorer in the Premier League, as Alex Lacazette netted 13 goals.

13 goals for a centre-forward represent mediocre numbers however, are numbers that the Gunners have become accustomed to due to the attention being away from having a traditional number nine. 

Since Robin van Persie’s exit in 2012, the Emirates has seen one striker capable of scoring over 20 goals in a Premier League season, that figure being Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The lapse in reliable goalscoring number nines is a concern for Arsenal, and something that Edu should now address in order to really show a change of the tide in North London.

The Brazilian has already shown glimpses of changing the club’s transfer policy when it comes to offloading those below par, using Nketiah’s links to Bournemouth as an example.

Now, Edu can further impress fans by addressing the final piece in Arsenal’s transfer strategy in attack by searching the market for the long-overdue centre-forward that the Gunners are craving.