What price Eddie Nketiah as Palace and Forest work on deals to land Arsenal striker

Will Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah join the list of Arsenal outgoings - and if so for how much - as the end of the transfer window looms

Hello, Happy Tuesday!

Good to note a certain 37-year-old ended Spurs title hopes for 2024-25 on Monday evening.

I’ve never particularly liked Jamie Vardy as a person, but, as a footballer - if you can actually separate the two things, and I’m not sure you can, given his charge sheet, not least his behaviour in casinos - then, I have to say his dedication to his trade in a bid to extend his career, is worthy of praise. Not least when installing an oxygen tent in his house to aid with post-match recovery.

Perhaps we all need an oxygen tent in our homes, not least after a big night in the pub, as it seems to keep Leicester’s evergreen striker, er, evergreen.

Anyway, how we laughed.

And the thing is the Foxes could even have beaten that lot from N17. We’ll take the point though, as it certainly ends their title hopes….

Interviewing Eddie Nketiah back in 2018. (I still have that Adidas top by the way, even if it’s falling apart…)

What else made me laugh was the fact that the powers-that-be at the King Power decided that defensive midfielder Oliver Skipp was worth £25m?

I mean, yes, he’s English, he’ll only be 24 next month, he’s made nearly 80 Premier League appearances, and has featured a whopping 24 times for England U21s.

The fee also caught my eye because it made me wonder, just how much the going rate would be for a striker with similar numbers?

Imagine, for example, a forward - not a defensive midfielder as Skipp is - of similar age (25), with nearly 120 top flight matches under his belt, played 17 matches at U21 level (scoring 16 goals) and is actually a full English international. I know, because I saw his debut. Not to mention reported on. his entire Arsenal career.

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie

I am of course talking about dear Eddie Nketiah. Those figures quoted above are his stats.

Even in this strange summer market, where no one professes to have any money, yet Chelsea spend hundreds of millions, and get away with it, you’d think there would be a queue of suitors lining up to buy Nketiah.

(As an aside regarding Chelsea’s disturbingly prolific spending, I’ve got an MBA from a previous life before I became a journalist, and I actually studied amortisation, and I still don’t understand how - or more pertinently, why, Chelsea’s owners continue to buy players they don‘t need, and at eye-watering prices that are not so much an outlier, but far more an indication that the crowd at Clearlake Capital are completely out of their depth when it comes to English football.)

And how much are we asking for our Lambeth-born striker that seems to have put the jeepers up everyone? £50m? £45m? £40m?

It seems £25m to £30m was enough to scare off Marseille, who went for Lens’ Elye Wahl - who you may remember scored against us at a fevered Stade Bollaert last October - for around the same price.

Marseille had actually got to the point of agreeing personal terms with Eddie’s advisers, before the two clubs failed to agree on a transfer fee.

Why have there been no takers for Eddie since then? It’s a mystery.

I’ve reported on his performances for Arsenal since he was 16 years old, and yes, the initial excitement over his prolific goalscoring skills at academy level has been dampened considerably.

And yes, the elation after his goalscoring debut for the Arsenal first team against Norwich City in the League Cup back in 2017 has long since dissipated through a large number of goalless spells in the team ever since.

You certainly can’t say Eddie hasn’t been given a chance.

Which is why, he is on the market, because, in order to land a world class striker - as the majority of seasoned observers knows we require - the club has to sell before it can buy.

But £25m? For a striker capped by England with an excellent temperament, and a team player with considerable experience, at a peak age, with no previous history of serious injuries? Come on. What’s going on?

The market isn’t that depressed surely? Otherwise Leicester wouldn’t have paid that lot £25m (£25m?!?!) for Skipp, who don’t forget, is simply, a porteur d'eau.

Or is it that the club is continuing to be damaged by its supposed reputation (real or imagined) of selling on the cheap?

Yes, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are considering bids. But how much will they offer? If Eddie goes for £25m is that palatable?

I’ve interviewed Eddie one-one-on, and he’s a good guy. A serious, focused, individual who will give great service to another team, not to mention score more than a few goals.

And wherever he goes, he will always receive a warm welcome back in North London for his sterling service and loyalty over the years.

But is £25m all he’s worth, after nine years developing at The Arsenal?

We’re about to find out…

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I - Don’t tell anyone but I’m bunking off today, to treat my youngest daughter to lunch and a spot of shopping ahead of her GCSE results on Thursday. She’s worked ever so hard, so she deserves a little treat before the big day. Some things are more important than work, like a special dad and daughter day. See you tomorrow. X