Arsenal told they are 'joking' over asking price for 'lucky' player Mikel Arteta has made available

Arsenal have been questioned over their reported asking price for striker Eddie Nketiah. The forward played a back-up role during the season just gone, supplementing the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, with Arsenal falling just short of the Premier League title.

The 25-year-old still managed 37 appearances across all competitions, scoring six and assisting three. Having started only 10 Premier League games, Nketiah is one of a number of players who are being mooted for an exit this summer, with the Gunners also looking to sign a new striker ahead of next season.

Mikel Arteta was told by many to snap up a new forward ahead of last season, but he decided to wait having needed to strengthen other areas - namely the midfield with Declan Rice. A striker is likely to be prioritised this season, but no top forward is going to come cheap, and options continue to be reduced, with Benjamin Sesko penning a new deal with RB Leipzig recently.

It’s going to take big money to land a striker of that level, and that’s why sales will be necessary, especially with the presence of Profit and Sustainability rules. With that in mind, the Gunners are said to have placed an asking price of £50million on Nketiah, but one pundit is not impressed with such a high price tag.

“Ultimately if you want to get £40million, you're better off asking for £50million,” said Simon Jordan on TalkSPORT. “But is he worth £50million? Pfft, you've got to be joking haven't you? There's one thing paying for old rope but this is... you're stretching a bit far. He's not a £50m footballer, I mean, he's lucky to be a £30m footballer and on £100,000-a-week!"

Jim White then questioned whether Jack Grealish was worth £100million when Manchester City bought him from Aston Villa, suggesting that prices are usually inflated across the board. Jordan responded: “No, not he's (Grealish) not. But he is because Aston Villa were clever enough to put a release clause in there and Man City have got more money than God.

"He goes to play in an elite side and I think comparing Grealish to Eddie Nketiah is probably a false paradise because do we question the validity of Pep Guardiola's thinking? We've got a unique manager who has produced a unique side that's dominating English football, he thinks Jack Grealish is worth the money. Whereas I think most objective observers, perhaps except Eddie Nketiah's family themselves, would suggest that he's not worth £50m."

Arteta has previously said of Nketiah: “He’s a great player for Arsenal. He can be better, yes. And the best thing is the talent that he’s got, but especially his mentality is incredible. When he has that mentality with that talent, he’s going to get much better. He’s got an eye for goal. You look at his stats from the last 10 years. What he’s done is remarkable. He needs minutes, opportunities and service. If he gets that, Eddie is going to score goals, that’s for sure.”