Arsenal: Arteta has 'held talks' with £100k-a-week star at the Emirates

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will have made promises to Eddie Nketiah over his game time ahead of him signing a new contract, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The 23-year-old was expected to depart the Emirates Stadium on a free transfer this summer before he performed a shock U-turned and is now set to commit his future to the club.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Nketiah will put pen to paper on a new five-year deal imminently as the Arsenal hierarchy wanted him to stay ‘at all costs’.

Romano also revealed that Crystal Palace, West Ham United and two Bundesliga clubs approached the former England Under-21 international before he ended up staying put in north London.

And the Daily Mail have provided further detail on the financial element of Nketiah’s proposed new deal, claiming it will be worth £100,000-per-week.

The clinical forward appeared on The Beautiful Game podcast in April, admitting that there had been ‘talks and offers’ regarding fresh terms but that his ambition was to ‘play regularly’.

“There have been talks and offers of a new contract, but at the moment, my aim is to play football and play regularly,” said Nketiah.

Given Nketiah’s previous comments, O’Rourke believes Arteta must have made assurances over the number of opportunities the player will receive in the future.

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He told GiveMeSport: “I’m sure Arteta’s told him, ‘I will be giving you regular game time next season; I want you to stay; I want you to be a key part of our plans going forward’.

“So that looks like it’s swayed Nketiah to ignore interest from other clubs and to remain at Arsenal.”

Nketiah was forced to watch on