After being linked with numerous clubs, Arsenal might have finally found a buyer in Nottingham Forest for one of their fringe players, Eddie Nketiah.
Eddie Nketiah Close to Nottingham Forest Move
Personal Terms Being Discussed
According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest have made a breakthrough in talks and are now close to agreeing a fee with Arsenal for Nketiah. The Gunners had rejected the opening bid of £25 million and expect a fee in the region of £30-35 million.
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Forest are currently in discussion with Nketiah’s representatives to agree on personal terms. The Reds had prioritized a transfer for the 25-year-old over other targets. They had also been testing the waters with a bid for Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez. But they weren’t able to match the Dutch club’s valuation for the Mexican.
Crystal Palace were another club interested in Nketiah and had held talks with Arsenal. But Forest have stolen a march on them and now look set to land the Arsenal striker.
Earlier in the transfer window, Nketiah was linked with Ligue 1 club Marseille with the player himself keen to play under Roberto De Zerbi. But Arsenal’s refusal to budge on the price tag meant the move fell through.
Is Nketiah Good Enough to Start for Forest?
A player of Nketiah’s quality deserves to play for a top-half team. He has proven himself on the pitch whenever given the chance.
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Though predominantly a penalty box poacher, he can also score from long range. The “sensational” hat-trick he scored against Sheffield United last season is a prime example of his lethal striker’s instinct.
At Forest, Nketiah will have to battle it out with Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi for a spot in the starting lineup. The former is on the wrong side of his 30s and his goal contributions may start to dwindle as he gets older, while the latter has been struggling with recurrent injury issues. These factors might end up benefiting the Arsenal forward.
A move to Forest might provide Nketiah with the playing time he craves for and help to truly show what he is capable of.
