Arsenal will be looking for their third Premier League win in a row when they travel to Brighton on Saturday night but it remains to be seen whether Eddie Nketiah will play a part.
The young striker failed to secure a move away from the Emirates during the summer transfer window, the £20 million price tag proving a deterrent to Crystal Palace, so he will remain under Mikel Arteta at least until January.
His contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign and the Gunners will likely be reluctant to lose the Hale End graduate for free.
Nketiah has appeared just once this season, starting and scoring during the 3-0 win against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup, and is yet to even make the squad in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old's Arsenal future is looking rather bleak, but he could be rescued in January with Aston Villa, Brentford and Leeds all reportedly interested in signing the striker.
"Eddie Nketiah want regular first team football and plans to leave #Arsenal in January," wrote journalist Ekrem Konur on Twitter.
"#Bretford, #LeedsUnited and #AstonVilla are the in the que [sic] for the young striker."
Just over a weak ago, Arteta lavished the striker with praise, hailing Nketiah's work ethic after he found the net against AFC Wimbledon.
"I’m so proud of this kid," Arteta told Sky Sports when asked about Nketiah’s display.
"He hasn’t played much, there’s a lot of speculation around him. The way he trains, the way he behaves, he’s always willing to help the team.
"He fully deserves what happens because he trains and prepares himself like a beast."
It makes Nketiah's situation a confusing one. On the one hand, his future looks non-existent at the Emirates.
But when his manager admires him so much, it seems strange that a place in at least one Premier League squad this season has not come about.
