Eddie Nketiah - Seizing Opportunities

In the very first week of 2020 Eddie Nketiah returned to training with Arsenal after his frustrating Loan spell with Leeds Utd. It took him two weeks of training to show new boss Mikel Arteta that he was serious about making an impact with Arsenal. A possibility that Arteta had probably not considered too often as the plan at that time was for Nketiah to return to championship on loan. Bristol City were convinced they had the deal in the bag. So what happened in that two week period that altered the thinking of the Spaniard? He found a different Eddie Nketiah to the one he was expecting, one full of workrate, energy and profound commitment to improving and understanding what his coach requires. This infectious nature embodied the culture that Arteta was striving to change at Arsenal. By two weeks Mikel knew he rated Eddie, by one month he knew he needed Eddie.

Nketiah has always been a reliable goalscorer at every level he's ever played, but it's acknowledged at the bigger clubs this isn't always enough. He's a quick number 9 that loves to play off the last shoulder and sniff out chances in the box, his instincts for goal have always been predatory. These features will forever be his Modus Operandi, however the adaptation of his game really helped enamour the striker to fit the mould of Arsenal's intensive press. His drive and desire to effectively use his energy to win the ball high was asset to behold.

The England youth international made his return against Sheffield Utd, but it was the FA cup tie against Bournemouth that really showed Eddie could succeed against Premier League opposition by scoring with a tidy finish from a fantastic Bukayo Saka cross. This convinced Arteta to thrust Nketiah into a starting position for league games, he rewarded this faith by giving Arsenal the lead in a win against Everton, this goal was a deft finish supplied again by the exceptional Saka. Not long after another FA cup game saw him poach a goal against Portsmouth. The next goal typified what Nketiah can bring to this team, hunting down the goalkeeper to steal to ball and score against Southampton in Arsenals first win of the restart, it was a goal that helped set us on a very positive path. One in which Eddie has continued into the new season, already contributing most notably with the winner in a difficult game against West Ham. 

As a young player who thrives off finding the back of the net, Arsenal isn't the only place he's caught the eye, his scoring record in the England Youth Setup is somewhat astonishing. In the last 4 years he has appeared for England U18,19s,20s and 21s, scoring a grand total of 31 goals in 31 games. He currently needs one goal to equal Alan Shearers record of 13 goals for the U21s.

Another place he showed his prowess in front of goal was Elland Road, in what could be described as a interesting loan spell which holds a certain amount of ambivalence upon reflection. Some games Eddie would play well and score but would then find himself benched for the next game whilst the coach showed enormous faith in the struggling Patrick Bamford. The coach in question is one of the most influential coaches in the world, the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine favoured a striker in Bamford, who would work for the team and breathe energy into the front line, never giving defenders a moments rest. It became abundantly clear to Eddie he would have to truly invest in these principles to stake a claim in this team. Nketiah worked hard in training under Bielsa's guidance, he had certainly not given up on his battle in Yorkshire and Leeds certainly wanted him to remain but it was Arsenal who ended the agreement and returned Eddie to North London. It was clear this experience had impacted on Eddie and he came back into training with even more desire and commitment to prove he could be a part of Arteta's plans.

So why is the Hale End graduate so underrated by our fans, is it because he doesn't quite possess the technical ability of a Greenwood or the directness of a Martinelli? Possibly so, however there is a lot  about Eddie to admire, whilst his style as a box finisher maybe old fashioned by todays standards, scoring goals will never go off trend. His coldness in the box is a attribute we have been wanting since the disaster that was Francis Jeffers. A striker to have in our ranks that will not focus on trying to score the perfect goal or produce the spectacular, what he brings is a knowledge of exploiting any pockets of space in the box with perfect timing and ruthless finishing.

Eddie Nketiah is certainly one of our own but it's well known his story began elsewhere in London, at the age of 14, the striker made the move to North London after the Willock Brothers would not stop raving about him always scoring against us. The goals flowed quickly and it wasn't long before Eddie was playing for the U18s.  He was highly prolific for U18s,19s and U23s scoring 46 times in 58 games. This didn't go unnoticed by Arsene Wenger who gave him his debut against Bate Borisov in the Europa League. A month later Wenger would bring him off the bench in the League Cup against Norwich and Nketiah would his a big impact scoring two decisive goals to introduce himself to Arsenal fans everywhere.

There is still much for Eddie to improve upon and he'll want to further develop his link up play and his strength to hold the ball up. One underestimated aspect of his re-integration is how his form has pushed Alex Lacazette to rediscover some of his. Arteta loves to test players to see how they react and the Frenchman has certainly responded positively. With Eddie and Laca pushing each other everyday it can only result in positive results for Arsenal. If the game against West Ham showed us anything it was that Eddie only needs one opportunity to change a game. It's a quality we need, especially when games can be so tight and sometimes so tense without the interaction of fans.

Nketiah is here to seize the opportunities that come his way and its about time he's given the full appreciation from our fans, he doesn't need to be constantly compared to other strikers. Lets appreciate what we have. Another gem from the Hale End.

The Cloud Surrounding Folarin Balogun

How did it come to this? Folarin Balogun is a player Arsenal fans have been excited about for a long time, but at the start of the year things fell apart behind the scenes, culminating in the striker refusing to sign the new contract put before him. Both player and club remain tight-lipped about the current situation, however the writing on the wall suggests Balogun's journey in North London has come to an end.

News came from The Beautiful game podcast this week that an impressive cohort of clubs had significant interest in acquiring Balogun from Arsenal. The likes of Southampton, Brighton, Stuttgart, Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt, PSV, AC Milan and Roma are all circling round the uncertainty of the England Youth internationals future.

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein has been clear Arsenal do not want to lose one of their best prospects cheaply and have slapped an £8m price-tag on the young striker. Arsenal are also in the position where player sales are important in helping to fund other moves. A lot of fans will want a buy-back clause inserted into any deal, however that wont happen if Arsenal continue to insist on receiving a high fee. The fee itself may prove a stumbling block for some of the clubs, however there is a chain of thought that the closer it gets towards the end of the window Arsenal could lower the price. It will be an interesting game of wills that may go to the line.

So why didn't Balogun renew his contract with the Gunners? It appears the New York born striker wanted more assurances that he would receive first team opportunities. Subsequently it seems Arsenal weren't willing to give such guarantees given the number of options they have in that position. The relationship between Club and player began to turn sour when the Premier League restarted in July, Folarin was not one of the young players that was called up to train with the first team, nor has he featured in any pre-season games. This is a tactic Arsenal have used before with young players who wouldn't commit to new deals, Vontae Daley-Campbell and Josh Dasilva were both denied opportunities and ended up leaving the club. One could argue Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson were once both in similar contractual situations, however there was always good feeling between the camps that deals could be struck. Things haven't looked as positive for the U23s goalscorer.

It is likely other clubs have been aware of the contract issues for a while, Brentford came in with a bid of £5m in January which was quickly turned down. Arsenal are clearly very reluctant to sell, is there a chance he stays? It feels unlikely, on the outside things look happy, he turned up for U23s training and has already scored in a friendly against Spurs, but Balogun staying in the U23s and leaving for free next season suits nobody. He's an ambitious player who believes he can make the step up in levels now and Arsenal cant afford to let such a prize asset leave for nothing.

So just how good is he? well he has all the tools to be a complete striker, technically sound and a dangerous finisher with both feet. His pace and acceleration allows him to run in behind defenders to devastating effect but he is also equally adept with his direct dribbling, this allows him to run the channels well and commit defenders into areas they don't like to be. He'll look to improve himself as more of an aerial threat and also his hold up play, but he is a player who has skillset to adapt to the highest level.

Balogun joined Arsenal at the age of 10, his family came to live in England after spending time living in America. The 19-year old has been a prolific scorer at youth level scoring 50 goals in 70 games for the U18s and U23s. Very few players playing in those leagues at the same time were able to match such figures including the likes of Mason Greenwood and Rhian Brewster. Folarin may have another decision to make about his future soon, as he qualifies to play for England, Nigeria and USMNT, he has played some games for the latter but has most recently been playing for England U19.

This situation feels like a consequence of having such a good academy, things can become crowded quickly and the pathway that once looked so clear now looks blurry. Of course, Aubameyang and Lacazette are the main strikers in North London. It felt for a long time the position of understudy to them was up for grabs, but those opportunities were taken last season by Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah who impressed with their contributions. Tyreece John-Jules is also highly thought of and committed to a long term deal. So from Balogun's perspective he may just be wondering where he would get a look in and it may go some way to explaining why Arsenal couldn't convince him.

This is a modern casualty for big Academies, its happening at all the big clubs, many young players seeing the success of Jadon Sancho, have become more ambitious and less patient in waiting for their chances. Man City have recently lost a talented prodigy in Charlie McNeil. Chelsea lost Jamal Musiala to Bayern who made his debut after the Bundesliga restart. Chelsea have also lost Samual Illing Jnr to Juventus. These are all blows that sting just as much as Balogun leaving North London.

Arsenal will no doubt face criticism for letting go of a player with such potential, its possible we are going to be reminded of it in the same fashion we are every time Serge Gnabry scores a goal, but my take of the situation with both players is the same. If Folarin Balogun truly does wish to leave then we should respect this and wish him luck on his way. We have some very good forwards at our club and you cant keep everyone happy. I'll look back fondly with the role we played in his development and the good times he's had at the club just like I do with Gnabry.

This is the evolution of young players who want to emulate the success of Mbappe and Sancho, who are we to tell them to wait their turn, if their fate lies away from the club then its a new opportunity someone else. John-Jules is a player its impossible not to admire but a young player named Khayon Edwards may also soon emerge.

 - Next Generation Arsenal

Picture Credit - Getty Images