Ex-Arsenal star Theo Walcott believes that Eddie Nketiah should’ve left the club sooner for his own sake.
Nketiah, 25, signed for fellow London side Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day in August for £30million, having decided to leave the Gunners after more than a decade with them. The former England youth international was largely a backup striker under Mikel Arteta, starting most games on the bench and being used as an impact substitute.
When Gabriel Jesus was signed from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, it was clear that Arteta wanted someone else to lead the line. That same summer, though, Nketiah was handed a new long-term contract and handed the club’s iconic No.14 shirt, once worn by club legend Thierry Henry and later Walcott.
On Saturday, Nketiah lined up to face Liverpool as Palace suffered a frustrating 1-0 defeat on home soil. During BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of the game, Walcott gave his verdict on the 25-year-old’s Arsenal exit.
“It was a move that probably should have happened earlier,” the ex-Gunners winger admitted. “It is a move which can go well and Palace is a good football club. In time he will be a good signing for Palace.”
Although Nketiah tried his best to make the No.9 role his own at Arsenal, he ultimately decided to leave this summer. “It was about me being happy,” he told the Independent this week.
“I wasn’t unhappy – there were things I loved about the club, I’d been at Arsenal all my life – but at the end of the day, a football player wants to play football. Obviously only 11 can play and you have to respect the manager’s decision. But there comes a point when you have to think about your personal development.”
Eddie Nketiah is embarking on a new journey with Crystal Palace (
Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Following Nketiah’s move to Palace, Arteta remarked: “We are so grateful to Eddie for his performances with us. He is a player who has developed well through our academy and now he takes this opportunity with Crystal Palace. Eddie is a top professional, loved by everyone at the club, who wanted and needed to play more minutes. We wish Eddie well as he moves onto his next challenge.”
Arsenal sporting director Edu added: “Eddie has had a great journey from our Academy into our first team, and we send him our thanks and best wishes as he moves to Crystal Palace. It is important for Eddie to be playing regular first-team football and we are happy we have concluded a very positive transfer deal for his move. Eddie has a lot of friends here after many years at the club and we wish him good luck in his next step.”
