Arsenal REJECT £25m Eddie Nketiah transfer bid from Nottingham Forest after Marseille move falls through

ARSENAL have rejected a £25m plus add-ons bid for Eddie Nketiah from Nottingham Forest.

Talks are ongoing for the Gunners‘ striker who is looking for a summer move after dropping down the pecking order at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta.

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Eddie Nketiah could still depart Arsenal this month[/caption]

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The Gunners hope to soon confirm the signing of Mikel Merino[/caption]

Nketiah had agreed personal terms to join French giants Marseille last week.

But negotiations for a season-long loan with a £25m obligation to buy eventually broke down, with Arsenal demanding at least £30m.

That valuation remains the case for Forest as well as Crystal Palace, who also showed interest in the England international in the past.

Arteta recently revealed that there was “nothing to discuss” regarding the Hale End academy product’s future and potentially bringing in a replacement.

SunSport understands that even if 25-year-old Nketiah is sold, Arteta may not bring in a central striker, instead eyeing up an attacking wide man to provide competition for Bukayo Saka.

Nketiah signed a new five-year contract in June 2022 but started just ten Prem matches last season, failing to make a single start in any competition in 2024.

Arsenal are hoping to confirm a £30m deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who was left out of his club’s opening La Liga outing of the campaign last weekend.

Arteta has already bagged £27m plus £7m in add-ons from the sale of another Arsenal academy star in Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham this summer.

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Bournemouth are also said to be monitoring Nketiah’s situation as they look to replace Dominic Solanke.

The ex-Liverpool starlet, 26, switched to Tottenham for £65m.

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Nketiah has notched 38 goals in 168 games for Arsenal since arriving from Chelsea as a kid in 2015.

Selling him would boost funds for Mikel Arteta, who so far has only brought in Bologna’s £42m Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, plus making David Raya’s loan move from Brentford permanent.