Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has interest from four Premier League clubs this summer amid talk of him possibly leaving the Emirates Stadium for a transfer fee as high as £50million.
However, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Charles Watts played down the idea of Nketiah costing as much as £50m, saying he hadn’t had this price tag confirmed by his sources, despite it circulating in some media outlets recently.
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Discussing the possible suitors for Nketiah, Watts named West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Fulham as possible options for the 25-year-old ahead of next season, though it seems nothing is particularly advanced on this story for the moment.
Although Watts says he’s sceptical about the £50m price tag doing the rounds, he does think Arsenal should be in line to get good money for Nketiah, so this could be a deal to watch out for, and one that could have a big impact for the club as it would represent pure profit from a Financial Fair Play perspective.
Nketiah transfer update from Arsenal expert Charles Watts
“A possible price tag of £50 million for Eddie Nketiah has been a big discussion point over the last week or so. I have to admit though, I’m a bit sceptical about that figure,” Watts said.
“Arsenal are open to offers for Nketiah and I’ve always felt like this will be the summer that he does leave the club. I struggle to see someone paying £50m for him though. That just feels a bit too high for me, although from Arsenal’s point of view it makes sense to value him as high as possible when it comes to any negotiations.
“It’s simple business really, but I’ve not been told that the £50m figure is accurate. Nketiah is a decent player though and I do think Arsenal should be getting good money for him this summer.
“He’s still only 25 and he’s proven that he can score goals in the Premier League. He’s also improved his all round game massively under Mikel Arteta.
“He just needs to go and play regularly now. If he does that, I have no doubt that he can make a big impact somewhere.”
He added: “Crystal Palace are long-term admirers of the striker and he’s been close to going to Selhurst Park on more than one occasion in the last couple of years. Fulham, Brighton and West Ham are also believed to be interested.”