{"id":1267228,"date":"2022-06-27T09:54:25","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T08:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1267228"},"modified":"2022-06-27T09:54:25","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T08:54:25","slug":"paul-merson-eddie-nketiah-arsenal-contract","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/paul-merson-eddie-nketiah-arsenal-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHe’s not getting you top four\u201d \u2014 Paul Merson says Eddie Nketiah wouldn\u2019t start for Fulham"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Merson has criticised Arsenal’s decision to hand academy gem Eddie Nketiah a new long-term contract at the club following his late resurgence towards the backend of the 2021\/22 Premier League season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 23-year-old, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the month, looked destined to leave Arsenal this summer, but following a spell in Mikel Arteta’s first team during the latter stages of last season, he has penned fresh terms in north London.<\/p>\n

Nketiah spent much of the campaign on the bench, with his first Premier League start actually coming in April, a 1-0 defeat away to Southampton. Despite that loss in Hampshire, the former England U21 international remained at the forefront of Arteta’s thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

He started the final eight Premier League games of the season, scoring notable braces against Chelsea and Leeds United, as well as the second in Arsenal’s 5-1 thrashing of Everton on the final day, prompting the club to tie him down to a new five-year deal.<\/p>\n

Despite his end-of-season purple patch, Arsenal great Merson believes the club made a mistake in handing him a bumper contract, suggesting the academy product isn’t capable of leading them into the Premier League top four. In fact, he has suggested he wouldn’t even start for newly-promoted Fulham.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the Daily Star<\/em>, Merson said: “All Arsenal have got up front right now is Eddie Nketiah, who recently signed a new contract when it looked like he might leave.<\/p>\n\n

“And no disrespect to Nketiah but Mikel Arteta must realise he won’t get you into the top four. Absolutely no chance. That’s a fact.<\/p>\n

“Nketiah can’t be spearheading your Champions League push. He’s not getting in ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison at Everton and they almost got relegated.<\/p>\n

“He’s not getting in at Fulham ahead of Aleksandr Mitrovic and they’ve only just been promoted. I’m not having a go at him but he’s not getting you top four.”<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n