Arsenal have rejected a bid from Olympique Marseille for striker Eddie Nketiah, as the uncertainty over his future continues.
Arsenal and Marseille have been in talks over a deal for the 25-year-old, and Nketiah agreed personal terms with the French side.
However, Marseille failed to get close to Arsenal’s asking price for the attacker, and have now had a bid worth around £23m rejected.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that this bid has been rejected, as Arsenal are holding out for £30m with a sell-on clause.
Marseille are now closing in on a deal to sign Youssoufa Moukoko from Borussia Dortmund, as they look for other options instead of the Arsenal striker.
Arsenal stood firm on their valuation, but it now appears that Marseille have dropped their interest as a result, and Nketiah is now in limbo.
Arsenal fans defend Edu Gaspar after rejecting bid for Eddie Nketiah
Arsenal fans are divided over Nketiah’s valuation, and some are now worried that with Marseille dropping interest, the opportunity to gain a good fee for the out-of-favour forward may now be gone.
“People think Arsenal have the leverage with Nketiah, they don’t. Clubs can get way better value than a 25 year old 3rd/4th choice striker for £30m on £100kpw which is why Marseille have now deviated to Moukouko,” one fan posted on X, questioning Edu Gaspar’s strategy over this deal.
“I’m not sure why Arsenal are asking €35m (£30m) for Nketiah. I think we should’ve accepted Marseille’s offer. I just hope we don’t regret it if other clubs decide he’s not worth that price,” a fan pointed out.
However, many fans have praised Edu’s approach, as it now appears that Arsenal are unwilling to let their assets leave cheaply as they have done in the past.
“Edu has such a tough deal with the fanbase: Gets criticised (rightly) for terminating contracts and selling players cheaply. Also gets criticised for having a value for players and not accepting lower offers. We set our value for Nketiah and it doesn’t matter if you think he’s worth less, the club have an idea and I prefer holding out then just buckling after the first bid,” another fan posted.
“Our reported valuation of around £25/30M is very fair. A compromise has been made due to the high wages Eddie is on. Have to stay firm/resilient. Marseille will come back in as they need attackers IMO,” another fan added.
Edu Gaspar could pull off masterclass over Eddie Nketiah
Edu must take note of the valuations of other strikers in this market, and stick to his beliefs over Nketiah.
If Marseille pull out, Arsenal have nearly a month until the transfer deadline, and there is likely to be further Premier League interest in him.
Crystal Palace and Brentford have been linked in the past, and later on in the window, both may be keen on a deal and could make offers closer to Arsenal’s asking price.
If Arsenal do end up getting their full valuation for Nketiah, then Edu will deserve enormous credit for taking the risky decision to reject Marseille’s concrete offers.
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