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      Inside Eddie Nketiah’s incredible rise from Chelsea heartache to Arsenal and England star via brutal cage football

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      EDDIE NKETIAH has gone through a lot to make sure he succeeded in having a career at the top of football.The striker has become a regular for Arsenal despite enduring some tricky periods earlier in his career.
      Eddie Nketiah has become a star at ArsenalCredit: Getty
      He has managed to make it to the England senior teamCredit: Getty
      Nketiah was one of many young stars in the Chelsea academy
      Nketiah, 24, started his career at Chelsea but was rejected by the club when he was 14.
      A decade later, he had become a regular member of the Arsenal first team under manager Mikel Arteta.
      The forward’s form and impressive start to the 2022/23 Premier League season saw him earn his first call-up to the senior England team by boss Gareth Southgate.
      Nketiah had featured regularly for the Three Lions youth sides and even managed to net 16 goals in 17 appearances for the U21s.
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      Chelsea heartache
      Nketiah was one of a number of promising players in the club’s academy in 1999.
      The striker joined the likes of Mason Mount, Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher and Reece James.
      He joined the club when he was nine and was prolific in the youth sides.
      During this time when he would play away from club training, Nketiah would play football in a small caged pitch near his family home in South East London.
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      He told Gaffer Magazine: “It was really hard playing in the cage.
      “There’s a lot of pride there and everyone wants to show how good they are and what they can do.
      “There’s a lot of trash talk going on in the cage and you’ve just got to have thick skin to get through it and show how good you are.”
      However, despite being a prolific goalscorer, Nketiah was released when he was 14 due to concerns over his height as the club preferred team-mate Tammy Abraham.
      Arsenal beginnings
      Nketiah scored his first goal for Arsenal against Norwich in 2017Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Nketiah was given a lifeline as he was picked up by Arsenal after being spotted by youth scout Ian Gilmour.
      Gilmour had spotted the striker while scouting watching his son Charlie play against him for the Gunners’ academy.
      Nketiah was approached by Arsenal just two days after his release from Chelsea and quickly got the move sorted out.
      Gilmour was not concerned over Nketiah’s height however as he told The Athletic: “He had the power, he had the pace.
      “Size doesn’t matter if you’ve got the power and the pace. And technically, he was so good.”
      After rising through the ranks in Arsenal’s academy he eventually became a squad player in the first team in 2017 under legendary manager Arsen Wenger.
      He made his debut for the club that year at just 18 in the Europa League win over BATE Borisov and he followed that with his second appearance coming against Norwich in the League Cup the following month.
      Nketiah netted an equaliser within 15 seconds of coming on, endearing him to the Arsenal faithful.
      He continued to make the occasional appearance and was eventually loaned to Leeds in 2019.
      However, his loan was cut short in January 2020 due to a lack of game time and then saw a swap to Benudesliga outfit Augsburg canceled due to an injury to Danny Welbeck.
      Arsenal struggles
      Nketiah struggled to hold down a starting spot at ArsenalCredit: AFP or licensors
      Nketiah continued his career at the Gunners with managers Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta opting to keep hold of him after he impressed in training.
      However, Nketiah was never given the starting role as he would continue to star in the cup competitions but fail to be prolific in the Premier League.
      Nketiah had continually found himself behind more established strikers such as Olivier Giroud, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
      In January 2022, Crystal Palace were very keen on signing Nketiah as his contract only had six months left to run at Arsenal.
      Nketiah had hardly played that season and it seemed that his time at the Emirates was coming to an end.
      However, a move never materialised and he stayed at the club he was expected to leave the club in the summer window on a free transfer.
      That was until he agreed on a new five-year contract to stay at the club till at least 2027.
      But it seemed that his problems would persist as Arteta signed Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus that summer and made him the first-choice striker for the 2022/23 season.
      Arsenal breakthrough
      He made a breakthrough during the 2022/23 seasonCredit: EPA
      Despite the arrival of the Brazilian international, Nketiah stayed put and fought for his spot.
      The Englishman managed to get his chance in the Europa League as he started all six group games, scoring twice.
      During this run, he made his 100th appearance for the club and was then buoyed as Jesus picked up a lengthy knee injury.
      Nketiah made sure not to let the chance slip through his fingers as he would lead the attack for an extended period.
      He would finish the season with nine goals and three assists in 39 appearances in all competitions.
      While not the most impressive of numbers his attitude and contribution was enough to maintain Arsenal’s title challenge against Manchester City.
      Nketiah then started the 2023/24 season in an improved manner as he netted twice in the club’s first four games.
      The striker was in turn described as a “role model” by Arteta as he cemented his spot as an Arsenal player.
      England call-up
      Nektiah’s good form earned him a call-up to the England teamCredit: Getty
      Nketiah had opted to represent England despite being born to Ghanaian parents.
      His improvement for Arsenal saw him earn national recognition in August 2023 as he was called up to the senior England team for the first time in his career.
      Southgate hailed Nketiah’s pedigree after giving him the call for the fixtures against Ukraine in the Euro qualifier and Scotland in a friendly.
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      He said: “With Eddie coming in, it is an area where we want to have a look at him.
      “Young player with a lot of pedigree, really good finisher, and the record goalscorer in the Under-21s.” More

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      Barcelona plotting to raid Arsenal for free transfer with chiefs set to repeat Ilkay Gundogan tactic

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      BARCELONA are looking to repeat their Ilkay Gundogan transfer tactic to grab Arsenal midfielder Jorginho on a free, according to reports.The Italian midfielder’s contract is set to expire next summer where he will be able to move to another club as a free agent.
      Barcelona are plotting a move for Arsenal midfielder Jorginho on a free transferCredit: Alamy
      Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo report that the Catalan side are looking to use the free agency market as a way around the financial issues that have plagued them in recent years.
      Barcelona beat Arsenal to the signing of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer this summer after identifying him as a long term target.
      The Catalan club are now keen on Jorginho as they look for a midfielder that can help control the tempo of the game and maintain posession.
      With Jorginho’s contract expiring next summer, Barcelona will be able to approach the midfielder in January to sign a pre-contract at the club.
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      Arsenal’s signing of Declan Rice has seen Jorginho fall further down the pecking order at Arsenal, but the injury to Thomas Partey could see Arteta rely on the Italian more after the international break.
      Jorginho had been linked with a move to Fenerbache in the closing days of the summer window but his agent, Joao Santos moved to quash the rumours.
      He told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli: “This year he stays at Arsenal, then we can’t know what will happen next season.
      “For now he is focused on playing two very important competitions such as the Premier and Champions League with the Gunners. Italy is always in our hearts, never say never.
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      “If there is an Italian team that needs Jorginho and his characteristics we will see what will happen. A possible future for Juve? In modern football you can’t say he will be playing for one team or another.
      “We can talk to all the teams looking for a player with his characteristics.”
      Jorginho will likely be looking for a move if his playing time at Arsenal does not pick up after Thomas Partey’s injury.
      Luciano Spaletti left Jorginho out of his first Italy squad since becoming national team manager last week.
      Jorginho has been virtually an ever-present member of the national side since his first call-up in 2016 and will be looking to get back into the squad ahead of next summer’s Euros. More

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      Nicolas Pepe FINALLY quits Arsenal as he wears new kit on private jet with Gunners set to take huge loss on £72m flop

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      NICOLAS PEPE has finally left Arsenal after posing on a private plane in a Trabzonspor kit.The winger became the Gunners most expensive player in 2019, following his move from Lille for £72million.
      Nicolas Pepe left Arsenal after posing on a private plane in a Trabzonspor kit.
      But he failed to fit in at the Emirates and managed just 27 goals in 112 Arsenal matches.
      Pepe fell out of favour with manager Mikel Arteta but the club struggled to sell him.
      And it is understood Gunners bosses have decided to cut their losses on the player and terminate his £150,000-a-week contract, which had one year left to run.
      And Pepe has now agreed a move to Trabzonspor in Turkey, posing in the club’s colours as he jetted in to sign.
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      As revealed by SunSport, Arsenal warned the forward he would NEVER play for them again even if he failed to find a new club.
      Pepe was ordered to train alone after returning from an unsuccessful loan spell at Nice.
      He did even have a squad number after his number 19 shirt was handed to Leandro Trossard at the beginning of the year.
      His lack of activity cost him his place in the Ivory Coast squad for their forthcoming games against Lesotho and Mali.
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      Turkish title contenders Besiktas and Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia were also interested in signing him.
      But Pepe will be hoping his move to Turkey will spark a fresh start.
      He beamed after joining Trabzonspor and pointed towards the club’s badge ahead of his transfer.
      Declan Rice has since become the Gunners’ record buy, after signing from West Ham for £105m this summer. More

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      Bukayo Saka reveals his role to help secure major Arsenal transfer as he tells fans ‘the future is exciting’

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      BUKAYO SAKA reportedly played a large role in convincing Arsenal’s record signing Declan Rice to join the club.The former West Ham captain moved to the Emirates in a deal worth £105million this summer – a record fee for a British player.
      Bukayo Saka has revealed his role in convincing Declan Rice to join ArsenalCredit: PA
      Rice signed for Arsenal for a record breaking £105mCredit: Getty
      But Gunners fans may owe another of their star players some thanks for his role in the transfer after he put in a good word for the club.
      Saka, 22, revealed he used his close bond with ex-Hammer Rice to lure the midfielder into Mikel Arteta’s squad.
      Saka told talkSPORT: “Obviously he’d ask a few questions and I’d answer them.
      “But yeah, I’d just try to give him the reassurance that he’d be coming to the right club and that the future is exciting for us.”
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      “If he joined us, he’d make us better and that yeah, we can definitely achieve things.”
      During the summer Saka had been working as Arteta’s secret weapon to try and convince Rice to make the switch across the capital.
      Saka and Rice, 24, are both key men in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
      Earlier this year fans started to spot the growing bond between the pair during Three Lions training sessions.
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      And Arsenal fans were convinced they were getting their man in March when Saka and Rice were spotted joking about the latter’s future with Gunners legend Ian Wright.
      Then, following Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester United last season, Rice appeared to “like” a post on Bukayo Saka’s Instagram page.
      The England midfielder has gone on to make a remarkable start for Arteta’s side.
      Rice swung Arsenal’s game against Manchester United in the Gunners’ favour in added time on Sunday.
      He scored his first goal for Arsenal from the edge of the box to put them 2-1 up, before Gabriel Jesus netted too to seal a 3-1 win.
      An over-the-moon said after the game: “That was amazing, I think I’ve watched his goal back 20 times.
      “It was an unbelievable moment for him and his family. Even the stadium, he said it was crazy when he felt the atmosphere.
      “He’s right though, it’s really special to play there. I’m just happy he’s happy and that he’s performing, and he’s got his first goal as well.
      “I don’t think there’s a better moment for him to get his first goal. So yeah, I’m happy for him.”
      The pairs close bond begun at their time training for the England teamCredit: Getty More

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      Arsenal fans beg Arteta to start Aaron Ramsdale in MIDFIELD over Havertz after ‘next level’ skill in England training

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      ARSENAL fans have joked that Aaron Ramsdale should start in MIDFIELD after footage of his outfield skills emerged in England training.England’s Twitter account posted a video of Marcus Rashford drop kicking a ball at Ramsdale, who controls the ball with a flourish and proceeds to exhibit his impressive skill at juggling the ball.
      Ramsdale controlled the ball drop kicked at him by Rashford with aplombCredit: Twitter @ENGLAND
      The footage caused fans to joke that Ramsdale should be pushed into the midfield – particularly after reports emerged that new signing David Raya is close to moving ahead of him in the pecking order.
      The Daily Mail reported yesterday that manager Mikel Arteta has been “deeply impressed” with the Spanish goalkeeper’s performances in training since he joined the club.
      Raya’s ability to play out from the back is said to have really caught the eye of Arteta.
      It’s led the manager to “give serious consideration” to giving the Spaniard a “prolonged run in the team” over the coming weeks.
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      Fans on Twitter claimed to have come up with a solution if Ramdale is to be dropped, saying: “Might move him into the midfield uno.”
      Another replied: “Rammers in that Havertz role” alongside a video of Pep Guardiola saying “We’ll be there”.
      A third wrote: “Should swap him and Havertz, would concede the same but score more.”
      While a fourth added: “OMG, Ramsdale’s touch is next level.”
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      Kai Havertz has struggled to make a real impact in the Arsenal side following his £65million move from rivals Chelsea.
      The midfielder is yet to register a goal or an assist in his four Premier League appearances so far this season.
      An embarrassing air-kick when through on goal against United was the latest example of his struggles in an Arsenal shirt this season.
      But Arteta leapt to the defence of his midfielder in the post-match press-conference, bizarrely comparing the midfielder’s struggle for goals to how he met his wife.
      Arteta said: “I said to him yesterday, things are hard in the beginning.
      “When I met my wife, in the beginning it was hard to conquer her and I had to try and keep messaging.
      “In the end, she said yes, she wanted to be together and it was beautiful.
      “If it is a yes on the first day, it is not that great.
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      “I think the crowd was really good with him today.” More

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      Top 10 most overvalued summer transfers revealed with Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea all losing millions

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      THE top ten most overvalued transfers have been revealed and it is not good reading for Premier League clubs.Experts at Spin Genie UK have crunched the numbers to work out which clubs around the world spent too heavily during the summer window.
      Chelsea supposedly overpaid for Moises CaicedoCredit: Alamy
      Man Utd forked out £72m on Rasmus HojlundCredit: Getty
      They have compared the amount the buying club paid to their market value at the time of the move.
      Chelsea signed Brighton star Moises Caicedo for a staggering £115million as they smashed the British transfer record.
      The Blues beat Liverpool to bring in the midfielder and handed him an eight-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
      However, the study claims that Chelsea overpaid by a huge £50m.
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      They believe he is worth just £64m.
      Saudi Arabian clubs also splashed the cash this summer, especially Al-Hilal, who overpaid by £26m each in the deals for Malcolm and Neymar.
      The top ten additionally shows Manchester United overspent in their moves for Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana.
      Erik ten Hag signed the Danish striker for a whopping £72m from Italian side Atalanta despite his inexperience, with him having only scored 27 goals in his club career.
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      Numbers from Spin Genie UK
      The statisticians think United paid £26m too much for Hojlund and £15m for goalkeeper Onana.
      Arsenal bolstered their squad by spending over £210m to sign Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
      The Gunners’ £105m deal for the ex-West Ham captain was £23m too high compared to his market value and Chelsea pocketed £17m more than they should have for Havertz.
      RB Leipzig were the big winners of the summer window despite losing key players Dominik Szoboszlai and Josko Gvardiol to Liverpool and Man City respectively.
      The German side received a combined £30m more than expected for the duo.
      And another transfer that was overvalued saw Matheus Cunha making his initial loan move from Atletico Madrid to Wolves permanent. More

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      Arsenal £72m signing Nicolas Pepe warned he will NEVER play for Gunners again if he refuses to agree transfer

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      NICOLAS PEPE has been told to leave Arsenal while he still can or spend the rest of the season sitting on his hands.The 28-year-old Ivorian international has resisted all the club’s efforts to get rid of him without a lucrative pay-off.
      Nicolas Pepe has been warned he will never play for Arsenal againCredit: Rex
      But now he has just days to sort out a move before his last escape routes slam shut in his face.
      Turkish title contenders Besiktas are still keen to sign Pepe despite being turned down by the player earlier in the summer.
      And his representatives are also trying to raise a last-ditch offer from  Al Shabab before the Saudi transfer window closes on Thursday.
      But Pepe still has ten months remaining on his £150,000-a-week Arsenal contract which will net him around £6.5million if he stays at the Emirates.
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      And he is reluctant to take a pay cut just so Arsenal can get him off their wage bill.
      Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has already washed his hands of the player who cost what was then a club record £72million when he was signed from Lille by Unai Emery in 2019.

      He has been ordered to train alone since returning from an unsuccessful loan spell at Nice and doesn’t even have a squad number after his number 19 shirt was handed to Leandro Trossard at the beginning of the year.
      It has been made clear to him that he has no future at the club and will not play another game for them if he declines to leave.
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      His lack of activity has already cost him his place in the Ivory Coast squad for their forthcoming games against Lesotho and Mali.
      And with his home country hosting the African Cup of Nations in January, Pepe knows his international career is in jeopardy unless he finds another club.
      But Arsenal are still asking for a nominal transfer fee in the region of £4million and Besiktas want to sign him for nothing.
      The Turkish transfer window closes on September 15 and it could be a case of which club blinks first.
      That could all change if Al Shabab follow up their interest with a firm bid but Arsenal have not yet received any offers.
      Pepe has been unable to agree a move away from ArsenalCredit: Getty More

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      I’m an Arsenal U21 star who was making six figures as a 16 year old… but not from football

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      REUELL WALTERS is a whizkid on the pitch and online – after raking in £10,000 a night from Fortnite aged just 16.The Arsenal Under-21 star found an incredible way to help his friends AND his bank balance.
      Reuell Walters made a small fortune thanks to Fortnite after joining ArsenalCredit: Getty
      The ex-Tottenham schoolboy, now 18, devised a map for the popular video game during the coronavirus lockdown.
      And it was so lucrative that the England Under-19 defender’s first tax bill was into SIX FIGURES!
      It’s also estimated his map was used 250million times in one week.
      And as the Londoner gets a royalty fee every time it’s played, that meant his nightly earnings peaked at 10,000 to 15,000 dollars (£8k to £12k).
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      In a video posted by 101GreatGoals, linking to UnderArmour, Walters said: “Obviously we weren’t allowed to leave our homes so I picked up a different hobby where everyone loves the game.
      I think as a teenage boy I was playing Fortnite with my friends and they were talking to me about how they just wanted to play this game mode and how it hadn’t been made before.
      “So I just decided, you know, I’ll make something for them to play.”
      He added: “It was probably one of the first things that was made in lockdown.
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      “It was not viral but you know people started to play with other people and you know it started to take off from there.”
      Now the right-back is hoping for the same lift-off for his football career – as he dreams of nearing the first-team squad this season. More