This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
Al Pacino’s famous quote from The Godfather Part III may have never been more poignant in football than during the ongoing Eddie Nketiah transfer saga.
We’ve had weeks and weeks of conflicting reports stating that he’ll be recalled by Arsenal while others have stated that he’ll be staying.
It seemed as if we could put it all to bed after Alan Nixon came out with an exclusive piece over the weekend stating that Arsenal have no plans on recalling him, but now, one of the most respected Leeds journalists has cast doubts on the striker’s future.
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What’s been said then?
Phil Hay was hosting a post-match Q&A session on The Athletic after Leeds’ 2-0 win against Hull City, and inevitably, questions about Nketiah cropped up as he didn’t play a single minute against the Tigers.
“I’m starting to have doubts about Nketiah staying. He simply isn’t playing enough. If he goes, they’ll look for another striker. They can’t go through the second half of the season with only one.”
Time will tell
It seems as if different outlets are getting conflicting reports from their sources from either club.
Nixon stated that Arsenal have no plans on recalling Nketiah, while Football Insider stated that Leeds are preparing for that exact eventuality.
We will only really know what Nketiah’s future holds when the January transfer window finally opens, but until then we may have to endure a few more weeks of speculation.
Of course, there is a risk that Arsenal will want Nketiah back, but Marcelo Bielsa shouldn’t change the system that has seen Leeds move 11 points clear of third-place just to appease one loanee’s parent club.
After all, Leeds simply haven’t seen enough of Nketiah to be convinced that he can start. Danny Mills even suggested that he was their most disappointing player this term. On that evidence, it wouldn’t be a humongous loss if he left.
In other news, Leeds fans have been heaping praise upon one man after his showing against Hull.