Arsenal has fallen from grace in the recently concluded Premier League season after losing out a place in the top four, ending all hopes of Champions League football next season.
A bigger debacle is now on the horizon for Mikel Arteta who has to fight tooth and nail to keep Eddie Nketiah after the lad impressed with some clinical performances in the latter half of the season and was given a step up over Alexandre Lacazette who only scored two non-penalty goals in the Premier League campaign.
Despite Eddie on the verge of becoming a free agent in June, Arsenal is putting up a new deal before the 22-year-old to consider and the young lad seems to be responding well.
To denote his seriousness of intent, Eddie recently posted a story on his Instagram which showed the English player completely ripped and ready to go with the caption ‘Offseason Check-In.’
With his recent ascent in form, Eddie’s confidence seems to be soaring high as he started Arsenal’s last eight top-flight games and scored five goals, taking his tally for the season to 10 goals from 27 games in all tournaments.
There was a time when Eddie struggled for game time with players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette given preference over him but Lacazette’s hazy form forced Mikel Arteta to make Eddie his first choice towards the end of the season. And the reason seems to be clear after Eddie’s offseason post on social media.
Even though Eddie is just coming to terms with his attacking prowess, he has to prove that he’s a reliable one who can deliver consistently. There are offers circling for the English player from other clubs and Arteta knows that it’s too risky for him to let Eddie go, given that Lacazette is leaving and the signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City is still not confirmed.
Eddie’s hunger for the game was clearly visible in his postseason fitness. The player is clearly hungry for more game time, which leaves Arteta in a conundrum as he might have Jesus coming in from Manchester City. Clearly, Eddie as of now is the first choice, but Arteta needs to lock him down soon before the big clubs snatch him away.