Eddie Nketiah has rejected Arsenal's offer of a new contract and has formally asked to leave the club in the near future.
The 22-year-old is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and has grown frustrated with his limited minutes. He is yet to even feature in the Premier League this season and has instead been forced to settle for two run-outs in the Carabao Cup.
He has been offered a new deal on a number of occasions in recent months but has consistently turned it down, and according to The Athletic, he did the same again on Wednesday.
Nketiah took less than 24 hours to reject Arsenal's latest offer and has now reinforced his wish to leave the club, either when his contract expires in the summer or in January if a permanent buyer can be found.
There is no shortage of interest in Nketiah. In Germany, Borussia Monchengladbach are keeping an eye on the situation, as are French side Nice, while there is also believed to be interest from Serie A as well.
Manager Mikel Arteta has always voiced a desire to keep Nketiah at the club, but the striker has grown tired of his words and does not believe that the Spaniard will ever back them up by actually handing him minutes.
Those game-time struggles, coupled with Arsenal's decision to invest in another academy forward, Folarin Balogun, have left Nketiah fearing that he will never have a consistent shot at minutes in the first team.
Balogun has also come out and voiced his disappointment with his current situation. The 20-year-old has been making a mockery of youth football this year, banging 14 goals in ten Premier League 2 outings, and he recently stressed his wish for a 'new challenge' in January.
Given he is under contract until 2025, Balogun's wish is likely to be granted in the form of a loan move, whereas Nketiah may be allowed to leave permanently.
The situation is complicated by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's upcoming absence for the Africa Cup of Nations, with Arteta reluctant to lose even more striking options in January.
Source : 90min