Arsenal could land £18m Nketiah upgrade in “the final hours”
The 31-year-old has a wealth of experience that could help fire the Gunners to the title.
Arsenal continued to rebuild their momentum last night with a 2-1 win in the Premier League away to Nottingham Forest.
However, until Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring in the 65th minute, it looked like it might have been turning into another match in which Mikel Arteta’s men failed to take their chances, a flaw represented in their expected goals number this season.
The Brazilian was replaced by Eddie Nketiah late into the game, but the Englishman did very little to stake a claim for the starting spot this weekend.
Worse yet, the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates ranked as one of the league’s most clinical finishers last season, so the 24-year-old could be in danger of losing his place in the squad entirely.
Arsenal look north for more firepower
According to prior reports, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson this month, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano having since told GIVEMESPORT that the future of the Englishman is “one to watch” in “the final hours” of the window – amid the context of the Gunners\\\’ interest.
The Italian journalist explained that while the Magpies “insist the player is going nowhere”, financial fair play implications could force their hand if they receive an “important proposal” and that if this happens, the player himself “could be open to the move.”
In more good news for the Gunners, a report from the Evening Standard earlier this week revealed that it could take an offer of just £18m to get this deal moving, which in today’s market seems like a steal for a player like Wilson.
That said, with Chelsea and Manchester United also said to be keen, it’s unlikely that the deal will be that straightforward.
How Wilson compares to Nketiah
Nketiah has been a useful player for Arteta in the time he has been at the club, scoring some big goals, such as the two at Chelsea a couple of years ago and the winner against Manchester United last season.
However, aside from the hat-trick he scored at the Emirates against bottom-club Sheffield United, he has been rather ineffective this season, scoring just two league goals and providing two assists in his other 20 appearances.
In contrast, Wilson’s seven league goals in seven starts have come in six games and were he able to keep this up for the Gunners, that would be far more useful in a title fight than one or two games in which he bags a hat-trick or brace.It isn’t just the former Bournemouth star\\\’s goal haul and the manner in which he scored them that make him a better option than Nketiah for the north Londoners, but also his underlying numbers.For example, in the metrics most relevant to a top-level striker, such as expected goals and assists, actual goals, shots, shots on target and successful take-ons per 90, the “incredible” Toon star, as described by his manager Eddie Howe, eclipses the Arsenal man.
The one area in which the former Chelsea youth product comes out ahead is in the number of assists the pair produces per 90, but with Arteta’s most pressing problem being his frontline’s finishing this season, this seems like a non-issue.
Ultimately, if Arsenal can get this deal over the line in the dying embers of the transfer window, they absolutely should, as the “ruthless” Wilson, as described by journalist Chris Waugh, could bring the experience and clinical nature that could be the deciding factor in a title race that looks set to go down to the wire.