ESPN claimed that Crystal Palace have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah ahead of the transfer deadline on August 31.
Nketiah was previously linked with a move to French club Marseille, however talks broke down. Afterwards, Nottingham Forest embarked on a pursuit of the English forward, agreeing with Arsenal to a price tag of $40 million before the move was abandoned after the player did not agree to personal terms with the club.
With Palace’s negotiations expected to be at a similar stage to Forest’s before their deal was abandoned, one source has suggested that Palace may pay £25 million for Nketiah plus another £5 million in add-ons.
Despite the recent transfer developments, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has remained silent on Nketiah’s future. “At the moment, Eddie is our player,” he stated following Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa last Saturday. “He’s very committed to us. Regardless of the noise, he’s here and he wants to be here with us. He’s really happy that we won the game.”
