Crystal Palace‘s summer rebuild shows no sign of slowing down, with the Eagles pushing for a move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.
According to The Athletic, Crystal Palace are keen to bolster their strike force before the end of the transfer window and have set their sights on the 22-year-old Englishman.
Crystal Palace are willing to offer £10 million for Nketiah, but Arsenal value the youngster at £20 million, which could prove to be a sticking point.
Nketiah graduated from Arsenal’s academy and made his senior debut for the club in 2017. But he has failed to establish himself as a regular member of the first team. The 22-year-old has made just 65 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, scoring 13 goals.
With the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Gabriel Martinelli ahead of him in the pecking order at the Emirates, game time could be hard to come by for Nketiah this season. The striker has just one year left on his current deal and has turned down a new contract as he looks to secure a move away.
Apart from Crystal Palace, Nketiah, who is England’s all-time top scorer at the U21 level, has also attracted attention from the Bundesliga.
What will Eddie Nketiah add to Crystal Palace?
New Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is looking to build his side around a core of young players and at 22, Nketiah will fit perfectly into his plans.
The Eagles are woefully short on attacking options at the moment and need fresh faces if they are to avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle.
Crystal Palace relied heavily on Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha for goals and creativity last season. The Ivorian netted 11 times in the league — his best-ever return in a top-flight season — but he is not an out-and-out goal-scorer. Jean-Philippe Mateta has not yet proven that he can thrive in the Premier League, while Christian Benteke’s best days are behind him.
In that sense, Nketiah’s arrival will certainly take some of the pressure off Zaha. The Arsenal forward is quick and direct and likes to find spaces in between defenders with clever movement. He is not the greatest of finishers, but at 22, he has plenty of time to develop that aspect of his game.
His biggest strengths are undoubtedly his movement and work ethic. He is a tireless runner and constantly presses high up the field to harry opposing defenders.
Palace’s struggles in front of goal were evident in the first two games of the new season, as they managed a total of just three shots on target, failing to find the back of the net. Thus, they need to prioritize a move for a new striker and Nketiah could prove to be a shrewd long-term acquisition.
