Eddie Nketiah is reportedly on West Ham’s radar as the Arsenal striker heads into the final year of his contract with the Gunners.
According to the Daily Star, the 21-year-old England youth international remains a target for the Hammers following reports in the January transfer window that David Moyes’ side were keen on signing Nketiah following the departure of Sebastian Haller to Ajax.
The Evening Standard reported, at the time, that Nketiah was seen as a replacement for the French striker during the window, as the Hale End graduate only has a year left on his current deal with Arsenal.
Nketiah has struggled for first-team minutes this year despite impressing early on in the campaign, with the young attacker scoring a late winner for Arsenal against West Ham in the second Premier League game of the season, as well as four goals in the League Cup and Europa League.
Despite a goalscoring instinct that has made him the all-time England U21 goalscorer this season, Mikel Arteta has been reluctant to use Nketiah much this campaign, with the former Chelsea academy man failing to make even the bench in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Leicester City.
At 21, Nketiah is at an important part of his career where he will be eager to play regular first-team football, yet with Arsenal signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a new long-term contract in the summer and Gabriel Martinelli back to full fitness, the striker’s time in north London could be coming to an end.
And West Ham could prove to be a good platform for Nketiah. The Hammers have had an extraordinary season so far that could see the east Londoners secure European football for the first time in five years, and with a lack of a natural striker in the squad, the Arsenal attacker could find himself a vital clog for Moyes’ side heading into the future.