17-year-old exciting striking prospect Eddie Nketiah has reportedly signed a professional contract with Arsenal.
ESPN have reported that Arsenal have tied down 17-year-old striker Eddie Nketiah to a professional contract at the club. The report added that the teenager was heavily sought after during the summer, with a host of other clubs monitoring his situation and that Arsenal officials are said to be delighted at agreeing a three-year deal with the youngster.
Eddie Nketiah, though, did not receive his early footballing education at the Emirates, the 17-year-old was on Chelsea’s books till the age of 14 when the Blues decided to release the player for reasons unknown to the media.
The player, though, seems to have shrugged off the disappointment and has gone from strength to strength ever since he joined Arsenal, after being released by fellow Londoners.
The striker is a natural talent up-front for the Arsenal U-18 side and his ability was on full display last season, as he bagged 24 goals in 28 games for the U-18 side to become the top scorer at the respective level..
The player is known for his ability to play as a forward and has the talent to play as a target man as well as a second striker. Nketiah is also renowned for his finishing and dribbling prowess while also being lauded for his defensive contribution, which is often found missing in a natural forward of the player’s caliber.
Arsenal officials and coaches are reportedly well aware of the player’s talents and have likened him to the legendary club striker Ian Wright at times. Nketiah is billed as a future star and his rapid progress seems to have caught the eye of Arsene Wenger too.
Apart from being highly regarded at the Emirates, the 17-year-old has also earned rave reviews from on-lookers for his performances, with people pointing out the brace he scored for the Under-19s against AC Milan in the Al-Kass International Cup as a particular highlight of his yet fledgling career.
Nketiah, for obvious reasons, still has a long way to go before he makes it to the senior stage at Arsenal but the player’s career graph is currently heading in the right direction and we may see the player leading the front-line in the senior team in the coming years.
