Arteta speaks out on attackers’ future
Arsenal could lose multiple attackers at the end of this season, especially with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah out of contract this summer.
The Gunners are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements, and it will be interesting to see if they are willing to dip into the transfer market next month and bring in a new striker.
Lacazette and Nketiah are unlikely to renew their contract with the Premier League club, and they are expected to move on as free agents.
Manager Mikel Arteta has now admitted that there is a cloud hanging over the future of his forwards, and the club is currently working to resolve the situation.
Arteta said to Guardian: “We have a cloud and the cloud is there and, at the moment, we’re not able to change it. We’re working on it to try to make it as small as possible and as clear as possible, but it’s the situation we are in because contracts have details, the timing of them is tricky, and we are trying to resolve it.”
French international Alexandre Lacazette has been quite impressive in recent weeks for the Gunners. It will be interesting to see if the Londoners can convince him to sign a contract extension with them in the coming weeks.
That said, Lacazette is currently 30 years old, and he’s unlikely to get any better with time. It would be wise of the Gunners to invest in a more younger striker with a higher ceiling.
The future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the London club has been a subject of speculation as well, especially after he was stripped of the club captaincy because of his misdemeanours.
The Gabon international has not been at his best for a while now, and he will have to improve immensely to hold down a regular starting berth and earn the trust of his manager once again.
Nketiah eyeing exit
Furthermore, the future of Nketiah is a bit more complicated, mainly because the 22-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth at the London club, and he will want to play more often and continue his development.
According to a report from Daily Mail, Eddie Nketiah has rebuffed offers from Arsenal to sign a new deal, and the 22-year-old is currently seeking regular first-team action.
The striker is currently on course to leave the club next month, and clubs from Germany and France are keen on signing the player.
The 22-year-old will be a free agent at the end of this season, and therefore he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from the 1st of January.
The youngster is highly talented, and he recently scored a hat trick against Sunderland in the Carabao cup. It is understandable why the Gunners want to hold onto him for the long run.
The 22-year-old is likely to develop further, and he could turn out to be a quality Premier League striker in future.
