Arsenal are prepared to keep Eddie Nketiah beyond the current window after rejecting Newcastle United’s latest offer for the striker.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have rejected a new proposal from Newcastle United for striker Eddie Nketiah, as Mikel Arteta prefers to keep the forward until the end of the season.

Arsenal have had an indifferent transfer window until now, although fans hope the club signs a big-name player before Monday’s deadline. The Gunners would ideally have liked to sign a top striker this month, although they remain empty-handed despite putting in the effort.

The north London side chased Dusan Vlahovic all month, only for the Serbian striker to join Juventus in a big-money move. Since then, there have been stories linking Arsenal to Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak, although it looks unlikely the club will pay his £75 million release clause this month.

There is also the situation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is close to signing for Barcelona on loan, and his departure would leave the squad short on options upfront. If the Gabonese star departs, Arsenal would be left with only Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as senior strikers, which is not ideal for Arteta and his hopes of finishing in the top four.

Both strikers only have six months left on their deals, with Nketiah attracting plenty of interest from English sides. Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace have been chasing him since the summer window and saw a late offer rejected by Arsenal recently.

Newcastle United also entered the scene late on, as they challenged Palace for Nketiah. The Magpies have reportedly held talks with Arsenal over a move for the striker, although the Gunners are now in a position where they cannot let another forward leave the club.

Arteta knows it’s impractical to go into the second half of the season with just Lacazette and hence wants to keep Nketiah as a backup. Newcastle have been serious about acquiring the wantaway forward this month, but it seems like they have to look at alternatives.

Nketiah will be a free agent in the summer, and plenty of clubs could come in for his signature then. For now, though, Arsenal are forced to keep him despite the financial opportunity to cash in late in the window.

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