Former Arsenal ahead Eddie Nketiah has been named the “greatest” Premier League “flop of the season” as his £30m transfer to Crystal Palace “hasn’t labored”.
Nketiah left his boyhood membership in the summertime as Mikel Arteta and Co. tried to lift funds for signings.
The 25-year-old was linked with Premier League and European sides earlier than Crystal Palace gained the race to signal him, paying round £30m to safe his providers (£25m plus £5m in add-ons).
The previous Arsenal striker has two targets within the Carabao Cup, however has failed to attain in his 13 Premier League appearances. He’s behind Jean-Philippe Mateta within the pecking order and has solely made six league begins.
Former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie has picked Nketiah because the “greatest flop of the season” as you “should anticipate greater than what he’s produced”.
“Eddie Nketiah at Crystal Palace needs to be the most important flop of the season,” Hendrie stated.
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“He price the soccer membership £30m, which I do know isn’t large sums for a Premier League striker today, however if you herald a participant like that, and Palace don’t usually spend these sorts of sums, it’s important to anticipate greater than what he’s produced.
“He solely scored his second objective the opposite day, you want extra out of your striker and he’s not providing that to Palace.”
Hendrie additionally defined why this “transfer hasn’t labored in any respect”.
“I watched him at Arsenal, and though he didn’t play each week, most of his targets got here from deliveries into the field, however Palace don’t have the identical high quality within the vast areas as Arsenal they usually don’t actually play with wingers,” Hendrie added.
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“I’m not saying he’s a nasty participant; I simply assume the transfer hasn’t labored for him in any respect. He has acquired capability, he can rating targets, so possibly that system doesn’t swimsuit him, however I feel it’s truthful to have anticipated extra.
“Palace let Jordan Ayew and Odsonne Edouard depart this summer season, he was supposed to assist fill that void. They want him to take a little bit of the stress of Jean-Philippe Mateta, however he hasn’t been in a position to do this.”
Earlier this season, Palace boss Oliver Glasner backed Nketiah as a participant of his high quality shouldn’t “at all times be on the bench”.
“We wouldn’t spend £25m on a participant who we anticipate to at all times be on the bench. We consider in his high quality and his mentality and his character,” Glasner stated.
“Eddie can play completely different positions becuas he’s very sensible. He’s a unique proifile than Jean-Phillipe who’s taller and extra physicial. Eddie is extra about shifting and discovering the area and he’s a really technical participant.
“It could possibly be that we alter our system – it’s not in regards to the system, it’s about our habits and our patterns. We’ll discover the fitting setup for us.”