Crystal Palace have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah after fellow Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion joined the race for his signature.
What’s the story?
The Eagles have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old hitman throughout the summer, but Graham Potters charges have now reportedly placed him at the top of their wishlist.
According to The Sun, Brighton plan to snatch Nketiah away from Arsenal in order to provide the attacking prowess that was so desperately missing from their side last season.
The report claims that the Seagulls are hoping to land the former England Under-21 international in a £20 million over the coming weeks, meaning Palace may be priced out of a move, with the club’s hierarchy reluctant to get into an auction for the striker.
Patrick Vieira will be gutted
Despite being limited to just four Premier League starts throughout 2020/21, Nketiah still managed to impress Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta with his performances.
“I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. The way he played last night against those players, in those difficult conditions, for me is extraordinary at his age,” claimed Arteta after he caught the eye against Manchester City.
“He has an immense personality to play, confidence, he’s powerful and is developing in every area, I think. I have a lot of faith in him.”
In 65 appearances for his boyhood club, Nketiah has bagged 13 goals, providing a single assist for his teammates, a respectable tally considering a large number of his outings have come via cameos off the bench.
However, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette above him in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, the youngster is expected to see pastures new this summer.
Palace are currently overhauling their first-team squad following the arrival of Vieira, and have already brought in several young, exciting acquisitions.
However, it now appears unlikely that Nketiah will be the next promising addition to the south London outfit’s ranks, leaving the French tactician feeling gutted.
The Eagles look set to miss out on Blackburn Rovers hitman Adam Armstrong following Southampton’s successful bid, meaning Vieira may be forced to move onto his third-choice striker in his quest to add more goals to this Palace side.
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