Arsenal expert Charles Watts has provided an update on the future of three first-team Arsenal players as we edge closer to the end of the summer transfer window.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his Daily Briefing column, Watts explained that there’s still no concrete update on Thomas Partey, Eddie Nketiah or Reiss Nelson.
It seems the Gunners may now be more likely to keep Partey, despite the imminent arrival of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, though Watts expects we could see things change quickly before the transfer deadline for both Nketiah and Nelson.
It is surely unlikely that Nketiah and Nelson will see much playing time in Mikel Arteta’s side this season, though Watts thinks Partey could still end up having a big role to play, even if he becomes more of a squad player than before.
Arsenal transfer update: Charles Watts on which players could leave
“I don’t really see Partey moving on now. Arsenal have been open to him leaving for each of the past two summers, but they have not received any offers that have been deemed suitable. There has been interest from Saudi Arabia, but it’s never materialised into anything concrete,” Watts said.
“So unless that changes I think he will stay and he will still have a big role to play this season. It will just be that he has to get used to being more a squad player than he has maybe been used to before in north London.
“The futures of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson will be a big talking point during the next couple of weeks as deadline day draws ever closer.
“Both players will be allowed to go if decent offers arrive, but as yet Arsenal haven’t received any bids that they deem suitable.
“We saw what happened with Nketiah and Marseille. Arsenal could have just relented and accepted what was being offered by the French club and had they done so then Nketiah would have agreed to the deal. But Arsenal have a price in mind and Marseille never really got close to that.
“Some will say that was a mistake and the club should have just agreed to the deal and got some money in for a player who will rarely feature if he stays around. But those people are probably the same people who have criticised the club for selling badly over recent years. You can’t just have it both ways.
“As far as I’m aware, there’s nothing close now when it comes to either Nketiah or Nelson, but the market always picks up as deadline day approaches so that could change at any moment.”