Eddie Nketiah took his Carabao Cup haul to 9 with a hat-trick against Sunderland in a 5-1 thrashing at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

With six months left on his current deal at Arsenal, the Gunners are in a weak bargaining position, and face losing the England U21 record scorer for free in the summer, although they may receive some compensation if he joins a fellow Premier League club.

Speaking after the game, Nketiah was keen to dodge any potential questions on his future.

Meanwhile, his boss, Mikel Arteta, was clear in his desire to keep Nketiah, saying:

“We really want Nketiah to stay at Arsenal.”

“He needs extra minutes. That is his want and that’s what we try to do. Eddie is an essential part of the squad.”

However, should a bid arrive in January, the club would be foolish not to consider it, and one could yet arrive.

The trio of clubs interested in Nketiah

As per a report in the Daily Mail, a trio of Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on the Englishman as they look to bolster their attacks in the January transfer window.

All of West Ham, Brighton and Crystal Palace are keen on signing the marksman, with Brighton in particular in desperate need of goals.

Graham Potter’s side currently boast the joint-second lowest goals scored tally in the Premier League in 2021/22, ahead of only Norwich and alongside Burnley, both of whom are in the relegation zone.