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Eddie Nketiah 'considering Arsenal future ahead of Kai Havertz arrival'

Nketiah 'considering Arsenal future ahead of Havertz arrival'
© Reuters
Eddie Nketiah is reportedly considering his Arsenal future ahead of the arrival of attacker Kai Havertz in a £65m deal from London rivals Chelsea.

Eddie Nketiah is reportedly worried about his future at Arsenal, with Chelsea's Kai Havertz set to join the Gunners' attacking ranks ahead of next season.

The 24-year-old largely played second fiddle to Gabriel Jesus this term, but was given a significant role in the side when the Brazilian missed part of the campaign due to injury.

Despite that, Nketiah scored just four goals in 30 Premier League matches - with only nine of those appearances being from the start - during the 2022-23 campaign.

January signing Leandro Trossard began to impress Mikel Arteta and slowly forced his way into the starting XI ahead of Nketiah, with the out-and-out striker making his last league start in the 4-2 win at Aston Villa on February 18.

According to The Mirror, Nketiah is now considering his future at the Emirates with the signing of Havertz from London rivals Chelsea imminent, further increasing competition for places at the top end of the Arsenal side.

Kai Havertz in action for Chelsea on May 2, 2023© Reuters

It is understood that the Blues and the Gunners have agreed a £65m transfer fee for the Germany international ahead of a switch across the capital, with the player expected to finalise his medical with his new employers over the weekend.

Havertz has struggled to score consistently since making the move from Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge in September 2020, netting just 22 goals in 139 matches over three seasons.

Despite this, the 24-year-old bagged one of the club's most important goals in recent times, scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

Arteta is said to be a huge admirer of the attacker and wants to have three quality strikers available to him as he takes the Gunners into their first Champions League campaign since the 2016-17 season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on May 7, 2023© Reuters

It is believed that Nketiah views the signing of Havertz as a serious threat to his game time in North London, with the German's arrival potentially leading to the Englishman falling further down Arteta's pecking order.

Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Fulham are said to be interested in signing Nketiah should he move on from Arsenal this summer, with all three clubs keen on offering the striker the opportunity to be a regular starter in the Premier League.

David Moyes's Hammers could be the most appealing option for the player considering they can hand Nketiah Europa League football following their triumph in the Europa Conference League, which culminated in a final win over Fiorentina in Prague.

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Written by
Carter White

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Germany's Kai Havertz pictured on March 25, 2023
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
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2Arsenal281510352242855
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest28156745331251
4Chelsea28147753361749
5Manchester CityMan City28145953381547
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton28121064640646
8Aston Villa2912984145-445
9Bournemouth28128847341344
10Fulham2811984138342
11Crystal Palace2810993633339
12Brentford28115124844438
13Tottenham HotspurSpurs281041455411434
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd2897123440-634
15Everton2871293135-433
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2896133248-1633
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2865173857-1923
18Ipswich TownIpswich2838172658-3217
19Leicester CityLeicester2845192562-3717
20Southampton2823232068-489


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