Bournemouth are looking at Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah as a potential replacement for Dominic Solanke, a report has claimed.
Nketiah may be the latest Hale End graduate to leave the Emirates Stadium after being linked with a move to south coast. For most of the summer window it looked as if the striker would fly to France to sign for Marseille, but the Ligue 1 side have made a last-minute move for Lens forward Elye Wahi instead.
The Cherries are in the market for a new striker after bidding to farewell to Solanke, who signed a long-term contract at Tottenham Hotspur after spending five-and-a-half years at Bournemouth.
Nketiah has been added to their list of potential Solanke successors, as per Fabrizio Romano, but may have to stump up £30m to pry him away from Arsenal. This price tag proved prohibitive for Marseille.
Bournemouth’s interest in Nketiah comes after they had a bid rejected for Porto’s Evanilson – who scored 25 goals in 42 appearances last season. It’s thought that the Brazilian youngster’s deal contains a high release clause, which Bournemouth may yet be able to trigger after facilitating the sale of Solanke for a club-record fee.
But if Evanilson is not a viable option, Nketiah may well be, with the player keen to earn regular game time in the upcoming campaign. The Arsenal forward managed 37 appearances last season, but fell down the pecking order at the Emirates after a bolster of attacking talent emerged at the north London club.
If Nketiah were to move to Bournemouth, it’s likely he would earn a spot in the starting lineup. The Cherries currently house two centre-forwards – Enes Unal, who they signed from Getafe permanently this summer, and Daniel Jebbison, who joined on a free transfer from Sheffield United in July.
Bournemouth kick off their 2024/25 campaign with a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Arsenal play host to Wolves.
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