Ligue 1 club pull out of race to sign Arsenal star as Gunners demand £30m - Reports
Marseille are reportedly out of the fray to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah due to a difference in valuation of the player between the two sides. The Englishman has had an underwhelming stint at the Emirates.
In 168 games across competitions since the 2017-18 season, the 25-year-old has 38 goals and seven assists. But his returns have dwindled in the last two seasons, with 15 goals and five assists in 76 games across competitions.
In the Premier League, his numbers for the Gunners are disappointing: 19 goals and five assists in 119 games. That includes nine goals and three assists in 57 games in the last two seasons, with Mikel Arteta's side registering consecutive runner-up finishes.
Despite his contract at the Emirates running until 2027, Nketiah has been linked with an exit this summer, with Marseille hot on his heels. However, as per La Minute OM (via Tribal Football), the Ligue 1 side has pulled out of the race, as the Gunners are asking for £30 million, while they don't want to go beyond £23 million.
What's next for Arsenal?
Arsenal commenced their pre-season with a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at the Heath Sports Park in Los Angeles before beating Manchester United 2-1 at the SoFi Stadium in the same city.
However, the Gunners came undone in their next outing against Liverpool, losing 2-1 at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to end their tour of the US. They next take on Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates on August 7 before closing their pre-season against Olympique Lyonnais at the same stadium four days later.
Mikel Arteta's side open their new Premier League campaign at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 17 as they seek to end their two-decade-long title drought in the top flight.
Having finished second to Manchester City in the last two campaigns, Arsenal will hope to be third-time lucky and thwart the Cityzens' bid for a record-extending fifth Premier League title.