It has been reported by David Ornstein via the Athletic that Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest for the sale of striker Eddie Nketiah, with the report stating that the fee is around the £30-35million mark.
Having had a lower offer rejected a few days ago, it seems that Forest have given in to our demands and match the player’s valuation set by the club. Nketiah could have made an even earlier move to Marseille in this transfer window, but the difference in valuation from the two clubs was what hindered an early exit for Eddie.
The gap in valuation was so wide that Marseille had three bids rejected by the club, the highest of them being £23million. Given the few negativity directed towards the club for playing hardball with the french giant it is therefore some sort of vindication that Forest lodged an even better first bid.
Even though it was rejected, the feeling would be that they’ll make an improved offer and so they did. Barring any complications if this deal goes through then this would represent a brilliant piece of business for our hale end graduates. With Emile Smith Rowe also leaving for a similar fee then making £70million for our academy stars would represent pure profit for the club.
Gone are the days where we let our players go on a cheap with the transfer of Smith-rowe and imminent departure of Nketiah being proof to that claim. It is also a signal that we’ve learned from past transfer blunders and are making an effort to be a more effectively sustainable football club.
With Nketiah now leaving that means that we have only two recognized striking options to call upon, should that mean that we should look into the market for potential replacements?
KENNETH BENJAMIN.
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I think anything over £25 million would be a good deal. I’m sorry to see Nketiah leave but I think it’s best for us and for him
Told you guys that Nketiah was worth at least £30m because of his homegrown status, experience, skills, injury records, age and contract length
I told you that an EPL club would likely snap him for that price
Arsenal made the correct decision by rejecting the half-assed bid from Marseille
I agree you are right after all @ Gai
Mail online reports this morning that Arsenal are offering 42m plus Kiwior for Atlanta Ademola Lukeman.
Yes he is my country man, but I hope the information remains a rumor. A Striker is what Arsenal need after Merino deal.
Most likely Merino would be in London by Sunday for medicals according to reports.
Atalanta are romoured to have offered Lookman a 4 year renewal with twice his current salary to fend off interest from the likes of PSG. He looks more likely to stay at Atalanta, which I think is a good thing for me as his not better than what we have for a €65mil.
I don’t really mind who comes in as long as it’s a quality forward for the RW/Top 9 position. If it’s a Right winger, Saka has quality backup, if it’s a Top 9, Jesus becomes Saka’s competitor/backup
Daily Mail often published fake news about player transfer, but we don’t know what really happened
Santiago Gimenez sounds like a good option for the new CF, but only people who watched all his games know about his strengths and weaknesses
I don’t think any great CF is available currently, but I’m curious about your choice to replace Nketiah
@Gai, good CF who will do better than Jesus or Havertz aren’t plenty in the market Strikers performing well at Epl is a different demands all together.
Personally I would prefer Jonathan Davids to SGimenez because I have followed JSavies a bit more. Pacey, good holup and combertive with defenders but he isn’t towering. Gimenez is a bit taller.
Viktor Gyokeres remains my favourite but the cost is the issue.
Yeah, a great hold-up play ability in the final-third will be more useful to us than the height of the CF
It’s the market working, that’s all. Olympic Marseille thought Eddie was “worth” £23m to them. We’re not quite sure what Bournemouth thought but they pulled out anyway (as a PL team, they didn’t “snap him up” for £30m). It’s horses for courses.
To Forest, he’s “worth” more according to the report and assuming the deal goes through Arsenal will have got money by holding on.
The question is whether Arsenal will be able to do anything with that money (put it towards another purchase) at this stage in the transfer window.
That money will surely be used to purchase Merino and we still have more than one week for another transfer
Now, now, everything should have been done a month ago. 🤦♂️
I think we all hope it had been then all the incoming players would have been together prior to the new season starting – surely better if at all possible than bringing them in before and after.
MA has stated this obvious desire as well. It would have happened if we had agreed to all the conditions and offered the asking price of the buyers with no questions asked. Fortunately, we did not.
Should we have just paid the €65 million release clause for Merino after he agreed to whatever terms and had him in the door 4 weeks ago?
Sarcasm Solwills.
Yeah, because all top clubs did theirs a month ago right?
Possibly, but it’s the time remaining to get that other transfer in, if Arsenal does.
Regardless of anyone’s point of view about further transfers, I think it’s fair to state that, on the evidence so far, speed has not been of the essence.
I disagree. Speed is not the most important aspect (of the essence) of the transfer window. It’s better to be good (regardless of # of transfers) than fast.
Would join you GAI in saying I told you guys Eddie was worth at least £30m. I hope when we finally sell him those who criticized the club will hold their hands up, admit their wrong and commend the club for a job well done. @Bertie
👍
Salary agreed between player and Forest and he will go for £25m with add ons.
If that’s correct, then it’s £2m more that Olympic Marseille were prepared to pay, with £x m possibly in the future.
Please include the add ons. We say £42m for Calafiori that includes add ons. The other day I called out @Ken for using £27 for ESR ignoring the add ons which made it £34m when he made a list comparing our incoming and outgoing. Why are some fans the way they are with their club? They hardly see anything good.
Well, you’re not calling me out. It’s the “£x m possibly in the future”. Add-ons aren’t certain payments – they are only paid if particular conditions are met. I don’t know what/how much they are in the case of any agreement with Forest (and neither does anyone else as far as I know).
It’s not a question of seeing good or bad but keeping things accurate as far as possible.
Not when I know you’ve used £42m for Calafiori not £38m without add ons and £82m for Alvarez who was sold to Atletico for £75m without add ons without minding the add ons then, while trying to keep things accurate.
Arsenal will end up falling short if they don’t buy a Striker it’s not rocket Science.
I think either Jonathan David or Dominic Calvin Lewin would be good buys that would tick the boxes without breaking the bank.Jesus is made of glass so that leaves Kia not enough depth!
If Jesus is made of glass
Dominic Calvin Lewin is made of tissue
Has the guy played up to 10 games in each of the last 3 seasons ?
Be careful of what you wish for.
Calvin Lewin and recurring injuries are like 5 and 6.
We will surely win the league this season. If we can get a top quality striker. They will be fine
Latest rumour. Calvin Lewin and Eddie in a swap deal
Good news indeed if Forest pays that. The only drawback is that if the “Eddie money” is to be used towards the fee for another player – a striker, a winger, whatever – then by the time this deal is done there will be little room left in the window for any negotiations. Anyway, we’ll see what Edu/Arsenal intend to do with the money.
Patino went for 1m this year, so cheap sell era is still not over.
Also, had Arteta played ESR and Nketiah a bit more he could have boosted their value more. Not trusting youth will not help our squad value grow when most first teamers are maxed in value already.
OT! Great news guys, Goal just reported that we have signed up Merino for £28m, I did not include the add ons since I read that they are performance related. We may end up not paying that £4m right? So it’s not really £32m.
Depends on what the add-ons are, it’s possible it is related to Arsenal winning the premier league, or him playing a certain amount of matches.
Regardless even the extra 4 million isn’t really that bad to secure the player
We will see. Nothing confirmed or signed yet.
I think 30m is a fair deal for both parties and a good opportunity for Eddie.