Crystal Palace transfer news: Eddie Nketiah 'obviously keen' on Selhurst Park move

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah could still seal a move to Crystal Palace in the summer.

Nketiah has entered the final five months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium and is expected to depart his boyhood club at the end of the current campaign after turning down the offer of a new deal.

Palace saw a £10 million bid for the 22-year-old rejected back in August, forcing them to turn their attention to Odsonne Edouard as Arsenal were reportedly holding out for closer to £20m.

But the south London outfit returned for Nketiah – born and raised in nearby Lewisham – in the January transfer window, with Sky Sports claiming they had two offers turned down despite his open desire to depart.

Mikel Arteta even came out and publicly declared that ‘Eddie is our player, he’s under contract so he is going to stay here with us,’ leaving Palace with no choice but to remain patient in their hunt for his signature.

However, Patrick Vieira’s charges are expected to face fierce competition for the England Under-21 record goalscorer.

Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach are believed to be closely monitoring Nketiah’s situation and are able to sign him on a pre-contract agreement as they’re foreign clubs.

Nketiah has proven himself to be a decent finisher with the potential to improve greatly after racking up 19 goal contributions in 75 largely substitute appearances for Arsenal.

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And despite the interest from abroad, Palmer believes Vieira’s ‘pulling power’ could see him finally make the switch to Selhurst Park if he becomes a free agent.

He told GiveMeSport: “Yeah, he’s a free