Massive: Former Chelsea striker signs new deal with Arsenal
Sep 10, 2016 at 11:17 AM
Arsenal teenager Eddie Nketiah has signed his first professional contract with the north London club, according to the reports
The 17-year-old, who the Gunners picked up after Chelsea released him, refusing to give him a scholarship, bagged 24 goals in 28 appearances last season and has already put in some stand-out performances this season, including the u18s’ 4-0 win over Aston Villa.
The Ghanaian-born Englishman is highly regarded at the Emirates Stadium and is seen as a star in the making for the Gunners.
“The day Arsenal showed they were interested in me was one of the happiest days I can remember,” he said to Arsenal.com back in September last year.
“It wasn’t only because I’ve always been an Arsenal fan, but two days earlier I was told that I would be released by Chelsea and not given a scholarship for this season. I was so down, but then Arsenal found out I was available, contacted my family and invited me to train.
Nketiah is a pure goalscorer and is capable of finding the net from all manner of different angles. Quick and possessing excellent close control, his positioning is impressive while he also has a good tactical understanding of the game.
Although he is best suited to playing up front, Nketiah can also have an impact out wide due to his hard-working nature and he has been deployed as a second-striker on occasion.
Given that he only turned 17 in May, it is perhaps a little too early to be considering Nketiah’s chances of making the grade in the long term at Arsenal, but manager Arsene Wenger will certainly be aware of the youngster’s progress, with the Frenchman often watching the club’s youth fixtures.