Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has signed a new contract with the club until 2027, according to Arsenal. The player turned down other clubs from both the Premier League and Bundesliga, according to Fabrizio Romano, and will now wear number 14 as well. The player’s role will now certainly grow.
Eddie Nketiah takes a first look at his new Arsenal shirt. pic.twitter.com/WSkoN6H73y
— Charles Watts (@https://lastwordonsports.com/football/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/09/Top-Shelf-Prospects.jpg_watts) June 18, 2022
Arsenal Striker Stays on Board as Importance Grows
An Important Piece
Nketiah will be an important piece to the Arsenal project moving forward. The club must certainly think so as well, as they gave the player the legendary number 14 number worn by none other than Thierry Henry. This certainly places pressure on Nketiah’s shoulders, but the club believes he can handle it.
“It was my home debut so all I wanted to do was play. I wanted to show what I can do, and then obviously when I did get on, my thoughts changed to ‘I want to help the team now’. I’m an Arsenal fan, so I didn’t want us to lose! We had to get back into the game. Being a player and a fan as well means you really care about the results, and I was desperate to do something when I got on,” Nketiah said regarding his Carabao Cup match versus Norwich City four years ago.
The passion for the club is certainly there for Nketiah, something that will only help him grow as a player.
This past season, the striker scored five goals and provided one assists in 21 league matches. He did, however, score five goals in five appearances in the EFL cup. That was Nketiah’s most productive season to date. These numbers are all expected to be higher next season with the player likely to see more time on the pitch. The 23-year-old is in line for a strong season.
Replacing Players
Alexandre Lacazette is leaving the club as well, so Nketiah instantly steps up in a larger role than he previously had. Last season was a down year for Lacazette, however. He scored four goals and provided seven assists in 30 matches. On the surface level, those numbers aren’t necessarily stellar, but he was still an important piece to the club.
Before departing to Barcelona in January, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also playing for Arsenal. He had four goals to his name in 14 league appearances. Again, not stellar numbers, but a notable player who was able to carry pressure.
Arsenal looked very close to securing Champions League football last season. Slip-ups towards the end of the season cost the team dearly, but the positive was that improvement was certainly shown.
The club still has a number of veterans and former player Mikel Arteta at the helm. At the same time, however, they are in the midst of a youth movement as a number of young players are becoming more and more important. Nketiah is one of them, of course, along with others such as Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, and more. The club is busy on all fronts, from extending their own players to making moves in the market.
