Arsenal apparently have no intention of letting Eddie Nketiah leave the club during the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old has consistently struggled to nail down a regular starting role for the Gunners, having broken into the first team during the days of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Since the arrival of Gabriel Jesus in the summer of 2022, Nketiah has continued to play a backup role, although he has made a name for himself during the Brazilian's absence through injury.
From 16 Premier League matches this season, Nketiah boasts a respectable tally of five goals and three assists, including his first career hat-trick against Sheffield United in late October.
Nketiah also opened his Champions League account against PSV Eindhoven on December 12, but he has not started a Premier League game since Arsenal's loss to Newcastle United on November 4.
With Arsenal understood to be targeting a new big-name striker in 2024, there have been whispers of a possible exit for Nketiah, who signed a new long-term contract until 2027 last summer.
It has been claimed that Arsenal would listen to winter offers for Nketiah, but 90min reports that the Gunners are not looking to part ways with the England international, who is also not pushing to leave the Emirates Stadium in the coming weeks.
Even if Arsenal did decide to entertain bids for their Hale End product, the report adds that the Premier League leaders would be after a fee of £50m, which would represent their most expensive sale of all time.
The Gunners offloaded Folarin Balogun to Monaco for £35m in the most recent window, and with Emirates chiefs apparently holding Nketiah in higher regard, they feel that they are well-placed to demand a more expensive fee.
Arsenal are currently understood to be at the head of the queue for in-demand Brentford marksman Ivan Toney, who will be hot property once his eight-month betting suspension runs its course in January.
Brentford director Lee Dykes recently admitted that Toney - supposedly valued at £100m by the Bees - could head for the exit door "very shortly", and Nketiah had been mentioned as a possible replacement.
Now, Brentford are said to have moved onto other targets given Arsenal's stance, which could also put Crystal Palace off making an official bid during the winter window.
Nketiah spent seven years as a youth player in Chelsea's academy before joining Arsenal in 2015, and he has since scored 38 goals and provided nine assists in 154 matches for Mikel Arteta's men.
The attacker earned his first senior cap for England off the bench in a friendly win over Australia in October, having previously scored a record 16 goals for the Under-21s.
Nketiah is expected to be named on the bench when first-placed Arsenal square off against third-placed Liverpool in Sunday's mouthwatering Premier League clash at Anfield. body check tags ::
