Eddie Nketiah transfer latest amid Crystal Palace hope and Arsenal to Nottingham Forest collapse.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal battles for possession with Jefferson Lerma of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on August 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah has been linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium this summer, but a transfer to Nottingham Forest has collapsed as it stands, so what comes next.It’s the saga that keeps rumbling on.

Last week it had seemed as though Eddie Nketiah’s future was set. Arsenal had agreed a deal worth around £30million with Nottingham Forest for the England international and it felt like a matter of time before things would be confirmed.

Now though, that deal has collapsed. Forest ultimately failed to reach an agreement with Nketiah over personal terms, and so the story roles on into the final week of the window.

Nketiah has attracted interest from a host of clubs this summer. Marseille were at one stage leading the charge, but the French side’s offer was deemed too low by Arsenal, and they ultimately decided to bring in Elye Wahi from Lens instead. Bournemouth then emerged as potential suitors after Dominic Solanke’s £65million move to Spurs. The Cherries ended up choosing Porto forward Evanilson instead however.

Despite all these near misses, Nketiah does still have opportunities for an exit this summer. As football.london revealed earlier this month, Crystal Palace are keen to reignite their interest in the 25-year-old. Palace have bid twice before for Nketiah in January 2021 and the January just gone. On both occasions they have found their advances rebuffed, though.

They had appeared to be out of the race this time with Forest edging closer to a deal. Now that Nuno Espirito Santo’s team have pulled out of the race though, Palace are once again interested.

A loan with an option to buy has been floated by the Eagles. Arsenal have indicated that they could be willing to accept such a deal earlier in the window, but their preference remains to get a permanent deal sorted up front. A bid of around £30million is likely to be enough to secure his signature. However, Oliver Glasner’s side will not necessarily have a free run at the Hale Ender. Foreign sides are understood to still be interested in Nketiah.

The saga was given further complication this weekend by the injury of Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian struggled with availability last season, and if Nketiah were to leave, Arsenal’s only options up front would be Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard. Mikel Arteta was quizzed on whether this could affect Nketiah’s future after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa, but dodged the question.

At the moment, Eddie is our player,” the Spaniard said. “He’s very committed to us. Regardless of the noise, he’s here and he wants to be here with us. He’s really happy that we won the game.

At time of writing it is still expected that Nketiah will secure an exit before the window closes on August 30th. The player has not started a single competitive game for Arsenal in 2024, and is keen to secure regular playing time.