Arsenal

Arsenal

Premier League • England

Bids to fly in for transfer-listed Arsenal forward, as SIXTH club enter chase with plan to replace legend

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah is in high demand and Arsenal will sell this summer

A sixth club has entered the heated race to sign Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah who could replace a departing club legend, according to reports.

Nketiah, 24, has never truly made his mark in the Arsenal first eleven. The striker has racked up 165 games for the Gunners, notching 38 goals along the way. However, it’s fair to say he’s always been on the fringes at the Emirates.

The arrival of Kai Havertz has given manager Mikel Arteta another option to lead the line. Havertz competes with Gabriel Jesus for the starting role, while Arsenal are expected to spend heavily on a new striker in the summer anyway.

As such, the writing is on the wall for Nketiah and TEAMtalk revealed on March 18 that Nketiah has been informed he’s free to find a new club.

We learned Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford are all showing interest. Wolves then entered the frame, while Fabrizio Romano insisted West Ham are “one to watch.”

Nketiah clearly does not lack for suitors in the Premier League and his sale will represent a lucrative one for the Gunners. Indeed, the proceeds generates from sales of homegrown stars go down as pure profit on a club’s balance sheet.

Now, according to online outlet Football Transfers, a sixth suitor has thrown their hat in the ring – Leicester City.

HAVE YOU SEEN: The world-class XI Arsenal could field next season if Arteta lands top midfield, striker targets

Vardy out, Nketiah in?

It’s claimed the Foxes are fully prepared to make their move for Nketiah if they win promotion back into the Premier League.

Leicester currently sit third in the Championship table and outside of the two automatic promotion spots. However, they do have a game in hand over Ipswich Town and Leeds United. Victory in that game would put Leicester top of the tree.

Football Transfers add Leicester are gearing up to wave goodbye to club icon Jamie Vardy who is out of contract this summer. Now aged 37, Leicester seemingly view this as the right time to part ways.

AGREE OR DISAGREE: Ranking the last 10 Arsenal January transfers out of 10: Odegaard, Aubameyang, Suarez…

Vardy is the club’s top earner and reportedly pockets around £150,000-a-week. As such, the Foxes will have no qualms matching the wage demands of Nketiah given Vardy’s sizeable salary will be off the books.

On the subject of where Nketiah will go, Football Transfers claimed the striker’s preference is joining Brentford.

However, the report concluded the emergence of Leicester in the picture ‘could change that.’

READ MORE: Man City v Arsenal: Eight superb players who transferred between Premier League title rivals