Crystal Palace have completed a £30 million deal for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah; the fee is £25m upfront plus £5m in performance-related add-ons
Saturday 31 August 2024 00:11, UK
Crystal Palace have completed a £30 million deal for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.
The fee for Nketiah is £25m up front, plus £5m in performance-related add-ons.
Nottingham Forest previously agreed a deal with Arsenal for the 25-year-old England international, but couldn't come to a resolution with the player, while an unnamed European club were also interested in him.
Nketiah, who scored 38 goals in 168 games in all competitions in seven years at Arsenal, including 19 times in 116 Premier League matches, has left the Emirates in order to get more regular first-team football.
He becomes the club's fifth signing of the summer transfer window, joining Chadi Riad, Daichi Kamada, Ismaïla Sarr and Maxence Lacroix in Palace's squad.
Nketiah will wear the number nine shirt.
Nketiah said: "It's amazing to sign for Crystal Palace - I'm excited to get going. Every time I come back to South London, it always puts a smile on my face, so it's good to be back home."
Palace chairman Steve Parish said: "It's brilliant to welcome Eddie, a senior England international, back to South London - we are delighted he has signed for Crystal Palace. I am confident that his energy, talent and hunger to succeed will endear him to his new teammates and supporters alike."
The Eagles also offloaded midfielder Naouirou Ahamada, who joined Ligue 1 side Rennes on a season-long loan, and forward Odsonne Edouard who joined Leicester on loan.
Another late move saw Palace sign goalkeeper Matt Turner, 30, on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest.
Sky Sports' Paul Merson:
"Only time will tell if Arsenal need a new striker - with Kai Havertz, if he went and got injured then they'd be really right up against it. I think it's the same with Manchester City.
"They'd end up having to play a false nine; you can get away with that for two to four games, but you don't want to do it for two months.
"It also depends on how bad Jesus' injury is but it's hard now with fair play rules and if you're a top player and you want to come to Arsenal, you might not even be playing.
"Players want to play football. It'll be a hard one, but everything Arsenal have done so far with Edu and Arteta, they work together, they sing from the same hymn sheet.
"As an Arsenal fan, you would have to keep faith in them too, they haven't let them down so far."
