Every transfer window is filled with dramatic twists and turns and this one is proving to be no different. The last week has seen a lot of life injected into what has arguably been the most boring summer window in recent times.
The biggest deal of this summer was Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid – a transfer that evoked more relief that the saga was over than excitement that Los Blancos had signed a World Cup-winning superstar.
Thus, it has been quite refreshing to see the unpredictable nature of the transfer window kick in finally. As a neutral, it was fun watching Atletico sign Alvarez and try to sign Gallagher in a deal that would have seen Samu Omordion go the other way.
The Spaniard’s eleventh-hour rejection of the Blues however has now prompted the Blues to book a flight back for 24-year-old English midfielder.
Whilst it’s fun to see it happen for Chelsea, the same hurts when it happens to an Arsenal player. It all but looked like Eddie Nketiah would join Olympique Marseille this summer with Mikel Arteta willing to move him on but the French club chose to sign Elye Wahi, leaving the English striker looking for another club.
Bournemouth who sold Dominic Solanke to Tottenham (can we say scammed?) have identified Nketiah as a potential striker to lead the line for Andoni Iraola’s team.
However, the Cherries have also made a bid for Evanilson, making Arsenal unsure of what their exact intentions are this summer.
It has now emerged that Premier League new boys Leicester City are willing to take Nketiah on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy should they remain unrelegated.
With Arteta clearly not wanting to retain the 25-year-old this summer (some of us still don’t understand why), this could be a welcome opportunity for the Englishman.
At the King Power Stadium, Nketiah will get the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from Leicester icon Jamie Vardy.
The Foxes veteran could help the Arsenal striker hone his all-round game considering he is already one of the best finishers in the Premier League at the moment.
Many Arsenal fans were still not convinced about the club’s decision to sell Nketiah to Marseille. He has been an excellent option for the Gunners off the bench and has stepped up whenever Gabriel Jesus is absent.
Yes, Kai Havertz is also present for the position but what the 25-year-old offers is quite unique. Nketiah is our most instinctive striker in front of goal and has helped the Gunners in two close title race, selling him for a bargain price that Marseille were pushing the Gunners to sell would have been an undervalue of his talent.
It good that the move to the French side didn’t work out, as now with Premier League sides vying for his signatures, Edu has an opportunity to make it count.
Maybe Arteta plans on signing a high-profile striker once Nketiah leaves but it’s quite disappointing to think that Eddie might not be wearing the Gunners jersey next season.
Leicester City is not a bad club to continue his career at and the coming days will tell us if something comes off this transfer saga.