---
title: "Aston Villa: Dean Smith’s side keen on Eddie Nketiah"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-dean-smiths-side-keen-on-eddie-nketiah/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Aston Villa"
published: "2021-10-02T09:35:05Z"
modified: "2021-10-02T09:35:05Z"
---

# Aston Villa: Dean Smith’s side keen on Eddie Nketiah

**Aston Villa are ‘in the queue’ to sign wantaway Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah in January, according to [Ekrem Konur](https://twitter.com/Ekremkonur/status/1443528624674639875).**

### The lowdown

Nketiah [has yet to make the matchday squad](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eddie-nketiah/leistungsdaten/spieler/340324) for a Premier League game this season, [having picked up an ankle injury](https://arseblog.news/2021/08/partey-injury-absence-confirmed-nketiah-sustains-ankle-injury/) just before the campaign started.

His [only first-team minutes](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eddie-nketiah/leistungsdaten/spieler/340324) have come in the Carabao Cup clash with AFC Wimbledon, a game in which he scored.

Last season, the England Under-21 international was [limited to just four Premier League starts](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/345845/History/Eddie-Nketiah).

Significantly, his contract is up come the end of the season and, [according to a report from David Ornstein](https://theathletic.co.uk/2783367/2021/08/23/ornstein-palace-want-arsenals-nketiah-for-10m-personal-terms-hold-up-west-hams-zouma-move-ward-prowses-pay-record/) in August, ‘there is no sign’ of a forthcoming extension.

Arsenal may, therefore, be under pressure to sell their [£14.4million-rated asset](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eddie-nketiah/profil/spieler/340324) in January amid the risk of losing him for free.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”368552″\]

### The latest

Nketiah ‘plans to leave’ The Emirates at the turn of the year because he ‘wants regular first team football’, [Konur says](https://twitter.com/Ekremkonur/status/1443528624674639875).

Villa can expect to face competition from newly-promoted Brentford and from Leeds United, where Nketiah had a spell on loan during the 2019/20 season.

### The verdict

It certainly looks as if Nketiah will be leaving the Gunners, but it’s hard to see Villa being his next destination.

If he wants to be playing week-in, week-out, then he surely won’t go to a club where he’ll be behind two other strikers – Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins – in the pecking order.

Perhaps Villa should look in-house if they want to bolster the first team’s attacking ranks. Cameron Archer has been particularly impressive.

**In other news, [fans flocked to this update on Leon Bailey](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/aston-villa-fans-react-to-leon-bailey-update-4/).**