MOT View: Leeds should give Eddie Nketiah a second chance with January swoop
Leeds should make a swoop to bring Eddie Nketiah to Elland Road for a second time with Arsenal ‘dependant’ on a sale in January to afford transfers according to The Athletic.
The Arsenal striker has failed to agree a new contract with the Gunners and is entering the final six months of his deal at the club, meaning he could leave for free at the end of the season.
While Arsenal are adamant they want to keep him, the lack of game time he is getting is likely to see him push for a move away in January and Leeds United should be paying close attention.
Nketiah spent six months on loan at Elland Road in the Championship, but he couldn’t get in the side ahead of Patrick Bamford and the deal was cut short in January after Arteta arrived as manager.
As it stands Leeds are in a relegation battle in the Premier League, winning just three of the 18 league games so far this season and sitting just five points above the drop zone.
They have scored just 18 goals in their fixtures this season, so the need for a striker in the January transfer window is paramount. Bamford has missed large chunks of the season with injury, so the arrival of Nketiah would allow him to get regular minutes once again.
During his first spell at Elland Road, he only started twice in the league but managed three goals from the bench, while also scoring two in two in the Carabao Cup.
He has improved his overall game since then and would without doubt be an improvement upon current attacking options in the squad.
With Arsenal ‘dependant’ on a sale to fund their own potential January acquisitions, Leeds should look to swoop for a cut-price deal to get him to the club.
Arteta has described him as ‘extraordinary‘ in the past and he holds the record for the most goals for the England Under-21s team, so he knows where the goal is.
Even this season with limited game time, Nketiah has five goals which would put him behind only Raphinha on Leeds’ top goalscorer chance.
Forget the past and swoop again, Nketiah could be the cut-price option that helps to turn Leeds’ tragic season around.
In other Leeds news, update given on Leeds pursuit of ‘great’ midfielder in January.