Eddie Nketiah makes 'mentality' claim after completing £30m Crystal Palace transfer from Arsenal

Eddie Nketiah has completed his move from Arsenal to Crystal Palace on a deal understood to be worth up to £30million, made up of £25million upfront and £5million in add-ons.

The 25-year-old striker had been with Arsenal since 2015 when he joined from Chelsea’s academy, going on to break into the first team in 2017. Other than a loan spell with Leeds United, the striker has remained with the Gunners since, making 116 league appearances in all.

But with first team opportunities limited behind Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and with the Gunners needing to balance the books amid a spending bill of more than £300million across last summer and this, Nketiah has been allowed to move across town to join Palace.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner will be hoping Nketiah is an upgrade on Odsonne Edouard, who is set to join Leicester City on loan on deadline day. Nketiah will compete with or perhaps play off Jean-Philippe Mateta at Selhurst Park as Palace look to build on the momentum they built up in the second half of last season.

Speaking to the club upon his arrival, Nketiah said having grown up in the South of the capital: “I think South has just got a lot of talented people in general. Maybe people that don't have the opportunity all the time to showcase some of the talents they have. But I think football has definitely become a way out for people to obviously not get distracted by some of the other things that can take your mind off things in the area. I think football is always a way out, a way to express yourself, your talents I think that mentality, I would say, is the main important thing.

“When you play in a cage, that pride, that ability to be able to showcase yourself and kind of just ‘show the other person that you're better than them’ kind of thing. I think that's the real grit and winner mentality that you install from a young age, because it's a lot of egos in there – everyone wants to have the last laugh. Everyone wants to have that kind of upper hand on someone, so I would say that is what really gives people the edge, I think, when you come into adversity or come into situations – to have the confidence to kind of show what you're about.

“I think all the players that play in cage and are from the South are able to showcase themselves on the pitch, because they have that personality out there.”