Arsenal ‘reject’ second Crystal Palace transfer bid for wantaway striker

Eddie Nketiah has been the subject of plenty of interest this month after it was revealed he rejected a new deal with Arsenal earlier in the season.

Crystal Palace have been one club eager to prise the forward away from the Emirates Stadium, but their initial offer was turned down.

Sky Sports have now reported that a second bid for Nketiah has been rejected, despite the 22-year-old’s desperation to leave his boyhood club.

It’s unclear how much the Eagles bid for Nketiah, but they may have fallen behind in the race for his services, with Newcastle United reportedly willing to pay around £10 million.

Arsenal’s reluctancy to let go of the striker shows their lack of squad depth in attack.

Mikel Arteta is currently relying on Alexandre Lacazette up top, with the Gunners eager to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang almost two months after his last appearance.

The Gunners are struggling to bring in a replacement for the Gabon international after primary target Dusan Vlahovic joined Juventus earlier this week.

With the Serbian out of the picture, the London club now may turn their attentions to Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak, who has previously been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

However, the 22-year-old - who has scored seven goals this season - is thought to have a release clause of around £70 million.